Meta:Mor:Phose
by Bondmaiden
Summary: He wanted to be a doctor despite his father's warnings. Desperate to make it work, Jude Mathis followed his friend, Arst Outway, to carve his own path in the future. And life certainly didn't tell him about the fighting Kings who wanted to dominate him and a distant Duke's conspiracy. [AU Gaius/Jude, Alvin/Jude, rating will increase]
1. Prologue: Jude and the Letter

"Hey Jude, Arst's at the inn again. He asked if you wanted to join him for a drink."

Jude frowned when he heard that name. Almost automatically, his hands reached out to close his books and his fingers deposited the pencil on the desk as he raised his head to look at Leia, who was innocently standing in front of his family's clinic counter. Arst, the playboy rich son from a distant family. A tall, leanly muscled and bronzed man, with wild black hair and fiery crimson eyes, like scorching rubies and rose gold melted together. Despite being rather new to this town when he first appeared two months ago, Jude was surprised to learn that Arst frequented Leronde's only inn even though he claimed that he was traveling for _'something'_, some indistinct and vague reason. Whatever it was, the young boy knew better than to be nosy and prod the man for answers.

They were simply, after all, acquaintances of one another.

"He knows that I don't drink; I'm underage for that sort of thing," Jude huffed softly under his breath, shaking his head in disbelief at Arst's playful invitation. Giving his childhood best friend a small smile, he stood up and leaned over the wooden counter to check whether there were still any other patients who would like to consult his father, Dr. Derrick. Thankfully though, no one else was waiting in line for their turn, and Jude's hands automatically moved to collect his books and stationeries to put them aside.

"I'll cover for you, Jude!" Leia's happy chirping echoed in the silence of the clinic as she watched him pack away. "My shift's going to start in an hour anyway –and you haven't had your lunch yet too!"

Slightly chuckling, Jude's eyes softened at Leia's offer and he murmured a small, abashed, "Thank you."

"Don't thank me," she proudly replied, sticking out her chest in what seemed to be a heroic pose as the boy squeezed out from the gap between the counter and the wall, watching her with a fond look. "You've been studying _waaaaay_ too hard for Talim. I know you just submitted the forms and all, but…" the auburn-haired girl shrugged slightly, studying his face with a vaguely firm expression on her face, "You need to catch a break, you know? I'm starting to see dark circles under your eyes."

Almost self-consciously, Jude glanced sideways to catch a glimpse of his face on the nearby reflective surface of hanging lamp. Albeit distorted, he could somewhat see what Leia was talking about; gaunt, pale skin, unkempt bedhead, dull golden eyes and the beginnings of bruise-like inky black blotches marring the skin underneath them. While it was true that Jude never had time to fuss about his appearance, save for any important events that his mother or Leia would force him to join, the sight of those eyebags made him chew on his lower lip in contemplation. Seeing his current state, it seemed as though he was going to become one of those 'zombies' that Leia showed to him inside one of her comic books before.

… perhaps a break what he needed the most at the moment.

As if reading his thoughts, the nurse grinned and patted his shoulder triumphantly. "Go on Jude, you haven't seen Arst in ages! I think he'd like your company too!"

At her encouragement, Jude ruefully scratched his cheek and placed his hand on the door, sliding it open and letting the bright sunlight tumble into the dimly lit foyer of the clinic. She was so understanding as his friend, willing to help him out every now and then, and he felt guilty for skipping out for an hour and letting her cover for him. But knowing better than to turn down her offer and making her even angrier like Master Sonia, Jude gratefully accepted what life gave him. "Thanks Leia!" he called out over his shoulder as he took a few steps outside, feeling the warmth of the afternoon sun seeping into his skin for the first time in what seemed to be ages; "I owe you one!"

Her only reply was a dazzling laughter and a frantic wave of her hand as she possibly shouted at him to take care, but by then, Jude was already jogging uphill and he was too far to make out what she was saying exactly. All he knew was that he was going to rendezvous with his friend, Arst, and let down his hair a little for the day with some juice and good noodles from the food vendor in the inn.

But fifteen-year-old Jude Mathis had no idea that a single letter would turn his life upside down.

* * *

**Meta:Mor:Phose**

_Prologue: Jude and the Letter_

* * *

The easiest way to recognize Arst? Simple: Look for the nearest black object with a twinge of red. The last time Jude had seen Arst, the man wore a black trenchcoat and was all suited up, looking rather formal and dangerous. Perhaps it was due to his upbringing as a rich man from a rich family; the aura he exuded was dangerous, but his personality was strangely amiable in a way. However, underneath all of the layers of composure and elegance was just the simple 'playboy Arst', the traveller with a tendency to drop by Leronde inn whenever he got the chance. It didn't surprise Jude to see him clad in the same attire again; perhaps Arst had a whole wardrobe full of the same clothes, just for different days.

Opting to settle down on the chair nearest to the man, Jude's eyes flickered over to the glass of drink that he was having before smiling wryly. "You still haven't changed, Arst."

A slight derisive sound, almost sounding like a harrumph, came from his companion. "Change isn't necessarily a good thing," his deep baritone echoed in the empty inn, seemingly amused at Jude's words. It definitely confirmed Jude's theory that Arst definitely had a closet full of the same clothes every day though. Readjusting his position on the stool, red eyes met golden ones and Arst's thin lips curled into a slight smirk. "It's good to see you again, Jude. I trust life has treated you well?"

"As well as it can be," was Jude's vague reply, unable to help himself from smiling at seeing his friend again. The food vendor at the counter handed him a mug of warm chocolate, always free of charge as a service to Jude who always took care of Leia, and he gratefully accepted it with a nod. "How about you, Arst? Found anything new on your journey?"

"As new as spirit artes could be," the older man uttered softly, taking a sip of his golden brown beverage. "How are your parents then?"

"Same old, same old," Jude shrugged, although his bright eyes seemed to dim slightly at the question.

It didn't escape Arst's watchful gaze though. The moment Jude's lips eased out of its customary smile and seemed to lose its brilliance, the man set down his drinking glass with a dull thud and leaned his chin against his hand, giving Jude a piercing look. He didn't say a word. Jude knew him well enough though: It was not in Arst's nature to snoop through others' problems, though he never seemed to have a problem with listening to anyone's trouble with an open mind. Arst never did anything else other than to watch Jude carefully, but the pressure was already tremendous enough until the younger male finally heaved a sigh, compelled to talk to him in one way or another.

"Remember how I told you that I'm studying hard to get into Talim Medical School at Fenmont?" Jude said, to which Arst gave a slight indication of his head so that Jude would continue talking. "Well… my dad's completely against it."

Arst's eyebrows rose, supposedly surprised at the news, but his calm demeanour betrayed his emotions. "Really now."

"Yeah, really," Jude sighed again, slouching over the counter as he rested his cheek against the aged wooden furniture. "My mom's supportive and she's been trying to talk to him about letting me become a doctor but he's just dead set against it. I just… really don't know why."

"Have your grades declined?" the red-eyed man suggested quietly, taking another light sip of his drink.

That made Jude scratch his cheek in wonder. Did his grades dwindle down in school? He didn't recall seeing anything else on his results slip other than receiving above 90 marks in each test, causing him to get teased a lot in class. "I don't think so, unless scoring an average of ninety something in exams is a bad thing."

At that point, Arst made a noncommittal sound that was neither an agreement nor disagreement, and left it at that.

"I don't really think it's about the grades," Jude continued softly, letting his sight lazily trail from the older man's strong jawline to the deepening claret undertones settling in his beastlike eyes. "Leia made a theory about how he doesn't want me to follow his footsteps because being a doctor is some serious hard work, but it's nothing that I haven't handled before. Helping out at the clinic isn't as fun as it used to be, ever since dad made me do only the deskwork and nothing more."

"Oh?"

That seemed to have caught Arst's interest for some strange reasons. Jude raised his head slightly, piqued by the faint change of the other's tone, and took it as a sign that Arst wanted him to elaborate further on that matter. "Yeah, he caught me trying to heal some of his patients before. Kids, you know how they get into fights," Jude rolled his eyes, memories of that day flooding into his mind; "One of them had some cuts and bruises, nothing serious, so I thought I'd just heal and send him on his way. That… didn't go too well."

"Derrick gave you a sound scolding then?" Arst aptly guessed, raising an eyebrow. It sounded as if he wanted to make it sound lighter than it seemed, but somehow, the atmosphere seemed to thicken all of a sudden. And Jude didn't know why.

"Not just a scolding, it was more like a lecture. Even mom had to break it off by making an early dinner for us," Jude weakly grinned. He sat up again, quenching his thirst with the hot chocolate that became nothing more than a tepid chocolate drink, and rubbed the back of his neck half-heartedly. "I guess… it's just that my dad didn't really give me a straight answer in the end. He didn't tell me why I can't be a doctor; I just simply can't, even though I have the skills."

"So you think by getting into Talim, you'll be proving him wrong?"

Jude astutely nodded at the man's precise conclusion. "That's what I'm hoping for, at least."

There was no reply from Arst's end, and the silence was only filled with the meagre sounds of spatula clanging against a wok as the chef made some food for other lodgers to enjoy. Jude briefly wondered if he had actually managed to irritate Arst by talking too much about himself, and he self-consciously glanced at the taller man, but his expression gave away nothing. Not even the least bit of detail, other than how deeply engrossed the man was in analysing the problem.

Somewhere from behind, the lodge's doors creaked open and Jude heard a familiar voice calling out his name, followed by rapidly approaching footsteps. The both of them turned around, and he watched with wide eyes as Mr Oswald, the mailman, approached him with a beam on his face.

"Your letter from Talim is here, lad!" Oswald proudly announced, smacking Jude's shoulder lightly before dropping the envelope on the counter. "Stopped by the clinic and Leia said you were at her house, so I rushed all the way here instead!"

"W-Wait, the letter's here!?" Jude jumped in his seat, nervously glancing at the official-looking envelope bearing the heavy judgment on him. He didn't expect it to arrive today since the applications normally took at least two months to be processed and reviewed, and Jude had only submitted his about three weeks ago. Why did it come too soon? Was he rejected so they booted him quickly? Or was he actually kicked out because of some errors when he filled up his forms? His heart started to race as the seconds ticked by, and Oswald waved him off with a grin.

"Well, I gotta get back to work, so you better announce the good news later!"

With another wave, Oswald was off on his way and left the inn in complete silence, save for the rapid thumping of Jude's heart.

Arst was, naturally, the first one to cock his head towards the letter. "Aren't you going to open it?"

"I-I… guess I should…" Jude weakly agreed, but the sight of the heavy looking parchment emblazoned with fragranced red sealing wax made him all the more nervous. At times, he hated how he seemed to overanalyse things, much like what he was doing now, but the anticipation was building up in his stomach and his throat felt too constricted for him to breathe freely anymore. His fingers were evidently shaking when he lifted the envelope into his lap and tried to peel off the wax, but coupled with clammy fingers and disrupted nervous system, Jude was clearly having a hard time doing so.

After all, it was _the_ letter that would change his life.

One that would prove his father wrong… if he got accepted into Talim Medical School.

But what if he _didn't_?

"Allow me to open it for you," Arst's deep voice sliced through his torment, and wordlessly, Jude nodded. He watched as Arst's gloved fingers gracefully pried the letter away from his childlike hands, and it only took the man seconds to remove the sealing stamp, extract the contents that were written on a heavy laid paper, before unfolding the letter before his eyes. Seconds for his glowing rubellite eyes to skim through the letters written on the thick paper, letters that Jude couldn't see from his end, and seconds for him to neatly fold the paper according to its creases before putting it away into its confines.

The strangely calm expression on Arst's face made Jude's nervousness a living nightmare.

"… what did it say?"

Arst's words were curt and clear enough for Jude to comprehend.

"You didn't make it."

The world painfully stilled for a moment there. As Jude squeezed his eyes close and dropped his head with a deep sigh full of crushed hopes and devastated dreams, he didn't see the odd, ambivalent expression that ghosted over Arst's face, almost undisturbed, almost _iknowing/i_. The red-eyed 'playboy' only slid the letter back to its owner on the counter and took a long draught of his drink, particularly lost in his own thoughts.

The silence in the inn was deafening.

**「つづく」****to be continued**


	2. Chapter 1: Take Me Away

Jude's head was downcast.

The overwhelming feeling of intense dejection and helplessness engulfed him. How easily his dreams were crushed with just the simple appearance of a letter. Both Leia and his mother, Ellen, were confident that he already had a place for him in Talim Medical School, but how was he supposed to face them now? The letter sat on the counter innocently, _mockingly_, baring to the world on its thin body that Jude Mathis couldn't pursue his dreams as a doctor in the future, and his hands slowly clenched into tight fists.

Arst, for his part, was painfully silent. The man just sat there on his stool, lifted his drinking glass, and polished off the last drops of the amber liquid before putting it quietly on the wooden table again. Neither one of them exchanged glances; the man knew better than to offer words of comfort and Jude certainly wasn't expecting any from him either.

The strained silence was only broken when the lodge's doors slammed open and three sets of footsteps frantically dashed into the lounge, heading towards Jude. The golden-eyed boy could only guess who they were, and when he felt a consoling hand on his shoulder, Jude slowly raised his head to meet his mother's concerned eyes. The look she gave him mirrored Leia's, who stood beside her whilst looking every bit of a fretting, anxious teenager. But the same couldn't be said for his father.

In the murky hues of Derrick's eyes, a pure, undiluted terror stirred from within the depths.

"Where's the letter."

It wasn't a question. It was a command.

Jude tilted his head to the side as his eyes shot a sidelong glance at it. "It's over there."

"Good." Derrick's hand shot out and made a beckoning motion. "Give it to me."

Something felt direly unnatural about this situation, Jude faintly realized, as his hands automatically reached out to pass the heavy envelope to the doctor, who then snatched it away from him. Feeling a tad puzzled with his father's reaction, Jude could only stare at the man when he took out the contents and skimmed through the letter. Each passing second, Derrick's eyes grew wider and wider. Jude's guts then ran cold; he could see how his father visibly shook while reading, almost as though it was a premonition of what was to come. And when Derrick finally reached the end of the paper, his fingers clenched the paper tightly.

With a loud ripping sound, Jude watched in muted shock as his father tore the letter into two.

* * *

**Meta:Mor:Phose**  
_Chapter 1: Take Me Away_

* * *

Loud gasps and a shrill voice filled the lodge instantaneously.

"Doctor Mathis!" Leia jumped at his frantic actions as the man continued shredding the paper mercilessly, scattering the contents onto the ground. "P-Please stop, Doctor!"

"She's right, honey," Ellen muttered, putting her hand on his arm and trying to coax him. "Please stop, you're hurting Jude..."

'_Hurting me?'_ Jude bleakly thought, feeling a little bitter at his father's display of rejection. _'He's always been like this…' _Always, always, always like this whenever the subject of him becoming a doctor surfaced. Jude's jaw clenched instantly as he tried not to speak rudely to Derrick, but his words came out somewhat edgy and strangled down his throat. "You don't have to worry, dad." He paused, looking at him right in the eyes. "I didn't get accepted into Talim anyway."

That seemed to do the trick.

At once, the atmosphere began to lighten a little as his father narrowed his eyes at him, filled with disbelief and lurching trepidation. Jude's stomach leaped a little at the intense glare, but he softly cleared his throat and stood up from his stool, holding his own ground, echoing his words clearly. "They rejected me. It's not like I can do anything with that letter anyway…"

Derrick's brows slowly knitted together in bafflement at Jude's words, much to his growing confusion. He could see his father's eyes dart towards the letter as though the man himself could read the contents from a distance, though Derrick didn't make any move to put the pieces back together again. All his father ever did was to shoot an accusatory look at Jude's direction. "You—"

The sudden slamming of heavy glass against the counter took over the conversation, effectively silencing the doctor. Derrick promptly swallowed the words down his throat again and eyed Arst warily, just like Jude, who was equally surprised about what could have made the man react the way he did. No sooner than the thought crossing through his mind, the traveller spoke up with a hint of irritation staining his ordinarily composed tone.

"He did get rejected," Arst's deep voice came to join the fray. All eyes were on him, even the cook behind them, but the older man didn't seem perturbed at the attention he received. He gave everyone present a levelled stare, devoid of emotions, and all hints of humanly emotions faded as not the slightest bit of empathy was present when he spoke again. "I read the letter myself. You need not doubt your own son, Derrick, since he is obviously telling the truth."

The finality present in his voice seemed to have ironed out all of the loose ends of the topic in hand. Derrick's stumped silence was treated as an agreement to what Arst said, and Ellen's hushed murmurings followed soon, as she took him by the hand before leading him out of the inn. Leia could only chirp at Jude to cheer up, but the bright tittering voice of hers only sounded like a dull buzz in his ears while he watched her desperate attempt in trying to cheer him up. Everything in his surroundings felt like a sudden blur, a gust of haziness clouding his vision, and even the trashed pieces of the letter on the floor was almost invisible to his eyes.

Probably knowing that Jude wanted to be left alone, Arst then said something to Leia, which made her voice dwindle down into a hushed whispering, before she sighed loudly and retreated. Standing by the doorways, the girl gave a final wave to Jude, a bitter smile on her lips, and he watched her almost in a dazed-like stupor when she closed the doors behind her.

"Jude."

The boy slowly craned his head to look at his friend, the motion sluggish and dispirited.

Arst's face was solemn, and he had his arms crossed over his chest in a domineering manner. It was like a switch flipped inside him; the cool, playboy Arst had suddenly changed into a dictatorial figure, and Jude wondered what triggered the change in attitude. The older man regarded him with a stare before beckoning him over with a curled finger, motioning him to come closer. Perplexed, Jude rose from his seat and approached Arst, rubbing his forearms.

"What's wrong?" Jude finally spoke when he came close enough to the man.

At first, Arst said nothing. He let a wave of silence wash over the two of them, and Jude was already beginning to feel bothered with the lack of response. He stared at Arst, who regarded him coolly underneath thick lashes, and tilted his head to the side. That finally incited a response from the older man. Jude watched in bewilderment when Arst slowly leaned forward and murmured in his ear: "Meet me here tonight."

The surprise caught Jude off-guard and he spun around quickly. "W-Wait, what?"

But Arst was already walking away, heavy booted footsteps echoing in the lodge, casually waving him off with a small gesture of his hands.

* * *

When he returned home, Jude made sure that he retreated to his bedroom immediately although nobody was at home. Both Ellen and Derrick were still at the clinic, busy treating patients who managed to come in every day, and he didn't expect them to return home early anyway. He was sure that his mother was trying her best to comfort his father, and Jude wanted no part of that whatsoever. All the boy ever did was to lie down on his bed and sink in the comfort that only his bed could offer as his mind ran through the uneventful things that happened today. Meeting Arst. The letter from Talim. His rejection. His father's reaction. The aftermath. And Arst, again.

Jude rolled over to his side. A frown automatically formed on his forehead.

What did Arst want from him? While it was true that he was a playboy (apparently Leia had the pleasure of listening to his travel tales whenever he drank at the inn), he was also a good problem solver. Once, a villager came to him and vented about the troublesome thieves who took refuge in the nearby Felgana mines, and the very next evening, Arst returned with the news that they were already vanquished. Nobody knew how he did it, but Jude always felt that Arst was certainly a lot stronger than he looked. That and he had an unspoken past trailing behind him anyway.

The dry, slightly salty afternoon breeze blew in through his opened windows, as Jude's thoughts turned over to more serious things.

Like why Arst told him to meet up at the lodge tonight.

Was it possible that the traveller found a solution to Jude's dilemma? The man was eerily quiet throughout the ordeal, and he seemed to take a lot of concern for Jude's problems whenever he came to visit. He had the suspicion that there was more to Arst than what he seemed, but there weren't enough pieces for him to fit together. Sighing in exasperation, Jude rolled over on his back and decided that he might as well catch some sleep—or for a lack of better word, relax, since he hadn't been resting much for Talim, although his dreams crumbled into ashes in the end.

By the time Jude woke up, it was already late in the evening. The sun was setting and his room became awashed in an ombre mixture of glowing reds and lazy lilacs, as thinly painted clouds paraded the watercolour skies. His little sleep had left him well rested compared to before, and he got up from his bed, heading to the bathroom to take a shower. By the time he was done cleaning up himself, the sun had already set and his room was now dimly lit by the streetlights outside. Drying his hair with a towel, Jude approached his closet and quickly drew out a whitewashed shirt with a pair of pants; nothing too fancy, he decided, since he was just about to rendezvous with Arst anyway.

Jude's movements were sleek and quiet, only filling the room with small rustling sounds as he quickly got dressed and exited his room. Heading downstairs, he padded towards the doors and stepped outside, remembering to lock it before exiting the compound. The cobblestone pathway gleamed with the lights that were lit along the roadside, and from the distance, he could already see the outlines of Leronde inn.

_'Leia must be home now...'_ a fleeting thought crossed Jude's mind as he hastened his steps. If Leia was home, then it meant that he would have to be extra careful so that she wouldn't see him. He didn't want her to worry too much about what happened to him earlier today, since Leia could be quite a worrywart and a fussing mother hen whenever she needed to. Besides, he only needed to meet up with Arst, listen to what the man had to say, and then head home anyway. Or so he thought.

Upon reaching the inn, Jude quietly stepped into the lounge area, only to find that Arst was already waiting for him on the stairway to the upper floors. A small smile crossed Jude's lips when he saw Arst, only clad in his white dress shirt and a tailored waistcoat instead of his usual ensemble. "Hey Arst."

Red eyes flickered towards him at the greeting. "Good evening, Jude."

"So what's going on?" Jude slipped his hands into the pockets of his pants as he eyed the taller man questioningly. "Did you need me for something?"

Arst shook his head curtly, the motion making several locks of his hair fall in waves over his shoulder. "This isn't the place to discuss," he stated simply, turning around as he began to ascend the steps. "Come with me."

The unsettled sensation that wrenched his heart earlier that morning came back in full force, wrapping his nerves tightly at Arst's seriousness. He always trusted his natural impulse because it was the basest form of human's intuition, much like a wild animal's instinct, and judging from his friend's actions, something told him that tonight would be the bane of his lifetime. But still, there was another part of him that trusted Arst—because Arst was simply Arst, and the man had no reasons to lie or even harm him. Leia always scolded him for being too trustworthy, attached to people simply due to their displayed kindness, and it always bit him back in the end. It would serve to be his downfall sooner or later, but Jude knew that it was too late to turn back from what life had started, from the moment he first stepped into the inn today.

Having no choice but to go with the flow, Jude simply followed the man upstairs.

It didn't surprise him that Arst picked the furthest room down the hallway because it was far away from the stairwell, and Jude presumed that he wasn't one for loud noises of people stomping up and down the staircase anyway. He suppressed a small chuckle at the thought of a cranky Arst waking up in the morning because Master Sonia had a habit of chasing Leia down the stairs before the giddy feeling disappeared at the bottom of his stomach when they reached his room. Anxiety soon took over again as he watched the man unlock the door to his room and stood aside, looking at Jude with intensely lit eyes.

"Come in."

Trying to put on a brave façade, Jude ducked his head and entered Arst's room with a quiet, "Pardon the intrusion," before turning around to watch the man himself enter and lock the door behind him. The heavy click resonated in the homely room, casting a dreadfully ominous sensation in the air, and Jude's apparent apprehension certainly didn't go unnoticed under Arst's watchful gaze.

"My, my…" a voice behind him spoke up, and the boy nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a bony hand settling on his right shoulder. "So this is the young lad named Jude Mathis, Your Majesty?"

It was then Jude's gut instinct leaped in horror as alarm bells began ringing in his head._ 'Your… Majesty…?!' _Swiftly turning around out of pure reflex, his golden eyes met soulful, crinkled brown ones that somewhat twinkled with mischief.

The third presence in the room chuckled at his reaction and chopstick-like fingers began stroking the tufts of white beard on his chin, seemingly amused. "Forgive me for alarming you," his gentle voice spoke to Jude, who had begun to sweat nervously in the presence of the two of them. "I didn't mean any harm, and neither did Gaius. I simply wanted to talk to you, that's all."

Jude found it positively difficult to talk, especially since his throat felt slightly constricted under the pressure. Coughing slightly, his eyes flickered back and forth between Arst—_'Gaius?'_ Jude's head repeated that name, trying to recall where he heard it from—and the elderly man, who was smartly decked in a suit of blue and black shades. "N-No harm done," he tried to smile, although he knew that the smile was indeed a shaky one. "I'm sorry, you are…?"

"Rowen," the aging man introduced himself with a slight tilt of his head; "Rowen J. Ilbert, at your service."

Now that was a name that Jude was awfully familiar with. "You mean the Conductor!?" Jude nearly yelped at the sudden realization, only to feel like such a fool when Rowen gave him a small nod, possibly used to such dramatic reactions from others. A sense of humility graced him and Jude's cheeks were flushed as he apologized softly under his breath and added, "I've read about you and your contributions to Rieze Maxia's military tactical strategies. They were simply brilliant." A slight bow, and then Jude straightened up with a brighter smile. "It's truly an honour to meet you, Mr. Ilbert."

"Please, just call me Rowen. I'm only a lowly advisor now, but I'm grateful for your compliment." His smile was fresh and light, perhaps enthused with meeting one who seemed to admire him. But then the smile gradually faded when he turned to look at Arst, who was standing patiently by the door, watching their interactions with one another. "Forgive me for cutting to the chase so soon when we've only just met," he spoke placidly, keeping his eyes trained on Jude as the boy returned it with a curious one. "However, we are simply running short on time." Rowen then moved to the side, standing near the table in the back of the room as his hand flourished right ahead of him. "Your Majesty, if you please."

Jude's ears perked up at the words. His hands clenched and unclenched themselves before finding refuge behind him, fingers twisting as a sign of his nervousness when Arst strode forward. The words 'Your Majesty' still rang inside his head and made him straighten up self-consciously when Arst took a good look at him, full of silent appraisal and unspoken intentions.

"Jude."

"Y-Yeah?" his response was heavily laced with tension as he shifted his weight on one foot. "What's going on, Arst?"

The man before him, all calm stares and impassive eyes, crossed his arms over his chest. "I am Auj Oule's King, Gaius." He took a slight pause, trying to let the information sink into their current situation, before speaking once again. "I am also one you've known as Arst Outway, and it is a secret that I travel to both Auj Oule and Rashugal's continents to ensure that peace still reigns in both nations. Up until now, I've only been doing routine checks on you. But now," there was a slight narrowing of his eyes as he spoke the following words: "I've finally decided to come for you."

Jude's heart painfully stilled at the dawning revelation of the name's familiarity.

And everything then clicked into place.

**「つづく」****to be continued**


	3. Chapter 2: I'm Not a Bad Boy

_**A/N: **_I'd like to say thank you to the reviewers, though I do wish I can respond to the anon reviews, **(Pandahil383 [side note, when you reviewed for chapter 2, I was just about to update on chapter 3!], manouchan, Stellar Lux, KalasFiction, and Androgynous-Heron) **, the people who've placed this fic in their favourites list **(Androgynous-Heron, GlassWings163, Pana-sule, Yeria, manouchan, and pan94), **and lastly, the people who've added this little fic to their alerts list **(Acriym, Androgynous-Heron, CansIHasYaoi, DarkAbyss1, Ginftw, GlassWings 163, KalasFiction, KrazyxLove, KristaLyn, Soranie, Stellar Lux, and TSoL iNSaNITY). **You guys are wonderful people who encourage me to write on, and I shall write on! /throws some sparkles and love to you all

8D Please enjoy chapter 2 of Metamorphose! 

* * *

_"It's not every day that we get people stopping by Leronde!" Leia cheerfully thumped her hand over her chest, looking proud of herself. "Feel free to ask for anything you want! We want to make this the best stay you've ever had in Rashugal!"_

_"You mean __**you**__ want to make it the best stay," Jude chuckled at his best friend's shameless promotion of her family inn. The poor traveller to his right almost had an air of confusion surrounding him, if not for the fact that he was an expressionless one, and the boy somewhat sympathized him. After all, coming to an island like Leronde and expecting some peace and quiet… isn't quite available when Leia was around. Jude somehow had an inkling of suspicion that she was just trying her best to liven things up, though by the looks of it, she hadn't much success since not many people would bother travelling to the boonies like their place anyway._

_The tall, dark and oddly charismatic traveller then cleared his throat, lips twitching, instantly trying to take rein of the conversation. "Thank you—"_

_"Just call me Leia!" she brightly proclaimed, winking. Then, gesturing to Jude (who looked very much as though he didn't want any part of it), she added, "He's Jude Mathis, the son of Dr. Mathis. His family runs the best clinic in town—well," she scratched her cheek, grinning wider, "Technically it's the only clinic in town, much like this is the only inn in town, but hey! Who cares, right? We both offer good services! If you ever need something patched up, you can count on his dad to make you better again."_

_"I've had the pleasure of making acquaintances with him earlier," the traveller soundly murmured, crossing his arms over his chest. Yup, Jude could definitely see that this man was definitely one who was hard to amuse. Or even impress. "He was the one who found me at Leronde Seahaven."_

_That made Leia gasp loudly in both mock hurt and disappointment as her voice raised in octaves. As much as Jude didn't want any drama for today, he knew he could count on her to make things even more scandalous than usual. "__**Jude!**__ Why didn't you invite me along to the seahaven!? I could've skipped out on mom's training…!"_

_"Because you can't and shouldn't skip Master Sonia's training, that's why," the other dryly pointed out, shaking his head. Deciding that it was best to ignore her for the time being and attend to his newfound acquaintance, Jude shot a small smile at the man and gestured at the inn's lounge area in a wide sweep. "Well, this is the inn and that's the food vendor if you're feeling hungry after your long journey. I'd stay and show you around Leronde but…" he shyly avoided the traveller's probing eyes and shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant about it, "There really isn't anything interesting around here."_

_"Heeeey, don't ignore me!"_

_And unfortunately, Leia was openly left out of the conversation as the man curtly nodded, holding out his hand. "You have my gratitude. I'm Arst." He paused, cleared his throat once, and resumed. "Arst Outway."_

_It took Jude only a few seconds to stare at the outstretched gloved hand before he automatically responded with a firm handshake—or as firmly as he could have managed, considering that Arst was the one who had the tighter grip. "Nice to meet you then, Arst."_

* * *

**Meta:Mor:Phose**  
_Chapter 2: I'm Not a Bad Boy_

* * *

"You're the King of Auj Oule…?" Jude's voice was only a notch above an awed whisper.

At Arst—no, Gaius' slight inclination of his head, Jude suddenly found that the thing about him being a mysterious traveller made sense. A fabricated background, a family that no one could seem to confirm its existence, and a playboy persona that didn't quite suit his regal demeanour, everything fitted together perfectly. Two months ago, when Arst first came into his life, he never did pause once to question about what the man was up to. _'Searching for something'_ was what he heard, but obviously by now, he found whatever that he was looking for, which led to this little situation of theirs.

And then there were other things didn't quite make any sense to him anymore. Why was Gaius checking up on him? What did the man mean by saying that he came for Jude? Why was the King of Auj Oule suddenly interested in him? And why would the King of Auj Oule _himself_ risk his own safety for Rashugal when he was only supposed to take care of his own nation?

Those were the new questions that floated inside Jude's calculative mind but he couldn't hold the answers to them.

Not yet, at least.

Rowen ushered for Jude to take a seat on the bed and the boy was grateful for the Conductor's graciousness. He was starting to feel a bit lightheaded from all of the surprising information, though from the looks of it, there was definitely more to come. Gaius stood in the middle of the room, uninterested in sitting on the chair that Rowen proffered, and the seat was left empty since Rowen, too, chose to stand in order to respect the one whom Auj Oule's denizens called as the Dawn King.

"Are you all right so far?" Rowen asked concernedly, knitting his brows together. "I take it that it's quite a surprise to find out that a friend of yours is an emperor in disguise…"

Jude tried his best not to fidget in front of the old man. "Yeah, everything's still trying to sink in," he confessed, rubbing the back of his neck. It seemed as though he was indeed too much of an open book for anyone to read, that or the Conductor was a good mind reader. He suspected the latter was more accurate though. "But to be honest, I did have my suspicions about Ar—I mean His Majesty Gaius," he paled when he could feel Gaius' eyes trained on him fervently, hoping that the king wouldn't smite him for mixing up on the names; "Because it was weird that a rich playboy son would go travelling for some strange reasons. Leronde, out of all places in Rashugal. Leia said it was right out of a fairytale," he laughed slightly, "So I guess she could've never seen this one coming."

Rowen chuckled fondly at Jude's explanation, casting a long glance at the king. "Yes, it does rouse some suspicion to a keen person like Jude, don't you agree, Your Majesty?"

Gaius simply opted to keep silent, though now that Jude knew of his status as a ruler, he was acutely aware that he should take care not to irk the king too much. If not, it could be the death of him. Trying to help move the conversation along safer lines, the boy vied for a different topic in hopes of bringing his distressed mind more answers. "Um… Your Majesty," he began cautiously, the words rolling off his tongue faster than his mind could catch up; "What exactly did you mean by what you said earlier? I don't really get what's going on…"

It was then Rowen cleared his throat, looking elsewhere, and Gaius raised an eyebrow.

A heavy silence blanketed the room.

_'If this is the part where I die for being insolent towards the king, I sure hope Maxwell can reincarnate me into a good spirit,'_ Jude's heart swiftly uttered a few prayers in lieu of what was to come. A few seconds passed in even heavier silence, with Rowen immobile and Gaius soundless. Adding in three more seconds, the boy pondered if he, too, became as dramatic as Leia was, and promptly decided that her theatrical influence was contagious through prolonged exposure.

Naturally, it was the king who first broke through the stillness of the night, effectively kicking Jude out of his inner monologue. "I want you to come with me, Jude," was his explanation. Jude's eyes widened to saucers and his jaw fell slack as he fumbled for the right words inside his head, but Gaius wasn't one who would wait for others. "At first, I would have left you alone here in Leronde so that you would lead a normal life," he went on, much to Jude's not quite relief at the extended justification, "But that option isn't viable any longer. If I leave you be, then there is no telling what could happen to you without my watch."

Jude only blinked owlishly, stunned.

Now who was being dramatic again?

"What he is saying is that you aren't safe here anymore, Jude," Rowen kindly paraphrased, a grim look settling on the lines of his face. "There are people who want you and they will stop at nothing until they have you within their grasp. Of course," he tried to give a reassuring smile to Jude, who was staring at the two of them blankly by now, "We will take good care of you so that no harm will befall you, or even your family members. With you separated from your mother and father, you can successfully divert your enemy's attention from kidnapping them to be used as bargain for your submission."

The boy's mind was working in overdrive by now. Tricky statements weren't exactly the easiest to make sense from, but he had no other choice but to try. What the Conductor was trying to explain was true, but it still didn't explain one thing. A finger pressed to his temple, Jude soon found himself in the same position whenever he tried to solve a difficult question that required almost all of his metacognitive skills. An incoming headache was certainly unavoidable tomorrow, at this rate.

"… what exactly do they want from me anyway?" Jude questioned, frowning at the sudden predicament he found himself sitting in. "I kind of understand that I'm in some sort of great danger, but I don't see why anyone would want me. It's not like I have some sort of government secret with me."

Wrong choice of words seemed to be Jude's only winning factor for tonight.

The heavy sound of booted footsteps reverberated in the room as Gaius moved towards Jude, a scowl suddenly shadowing his features. It almost scared Jude for a moment there when he took the moment to analyze the feral glint in the king's eyes, which spoke of a great deal of things that Jude certainly wasn't aware of, and he almost regretted letting those words leave his lips. After all, what a countryside bumpkin like him would know about royal conflicts and top-secret paperwork that the militaries passed around anyway? It reflected badly on his disposition but he had no time to dwell on that fact when he felt strong fingers firmly gripping his chin.

Forced to look upwards, Jude locked gazes with the King of Auj Oule.

"That is where you are wrong," he eloquently uttered, looking at Jude almost condescendingly. The former attitude of Arst the playboy was long gone, Jude belatedly realized, and it was forever replaced by the stately egotism that only a ruler like Gaius could manage. "There are certain details that I cannot divulge to you, and it is in your best interest not to know about them as well. Your curiosity will certainly get the better of you if you try to go further than what you should do," Gaius warned severely, as though challenging Jude to go against his words.

As if sensing the terseness of the circumstances, Rowen quickly tried to douse out the fire with some water. "What His Majesty said is entirely correct, Jude," he amicably agreed, smoothening out his beard once more. "We don't expect you to believe us right away, although it would be frightfully convenient for us if you were to accept this as soon as possible—by tomorrow morning, at the very least," Rowen mumbled with a sigh. "I do not wish to inconvenience you any further, but we do have reasons of our own for doing this to you. As you can tell, we simply cannot let you fall into other hands but we can't tell you why either."

"And for that reason itself," Gaius' voice was deep and menacing as he looked into Jude's eyes, "We must take you away."

The lasts of the king's words faded off into the hushed peacefulness of the night.

Jude's head slowly drooped and Gaius' grip on his chin lessened, bit by bit, until there was a brief ghost of his fingers grazing across Jude's cheek when he pulled his gloved hand away. Even though both Rowen and the king himself meant well, Jude's mind was already harried with such big news that he was actually an important figure, for obscured reasons, and his life was in danger. Why wouldn't they tell him? He was the one in danger so he should at least have some idea of what sort of peril he was in, right? If they wanted answers from Jude by tomorrow morning itself, then he suspected that they wouldn't have much luck since his shift starts early the very next day… so at best, he only had tonight to mull over it.

_'Come on, you can do this… pull yourself together.'_

Ellen always prided him as a quick thinker, someone who could whip up an (almost) accurate diagnosis and good decisions whenever the situation called for it, and this situation in hand certainly needed one of his quick decision-making skills.

But what was right and what was wrong?

It didn't help that Rowen's words haunted him. The situation in Leronde wouldn't look too good in the future if he chose to stay. What if he was right and there were people—his parents, Leia, her parents—who could be used as bait to lure him into surrendering himself? Just because he doubted what the king and his advisor said, all of them would have to suffer because of him. Then what would he do? Cry over spilt milk? On the other hand, there was also the possibility that Rowen and Gaius were both wrong, and Jude was just another boy in Leronde after all. Supposedly if it were true, what would he do here then? Serve as the nurse to his family clinic for as long as he lived? And then what? Marry one of the girls here? Marry _Leia_? And never become a doctor like his father?

Those thoughts didn't sit with him too well.

Within seconds, Jude knew that his heart had already made a decision that his logical mind couldn't agree with.

And his lips moved on their own accord.

"… take me with you."

* * *

_"Meet us outside your house as soon as you are done packing your basic necessities,"_ were Rowen's words before Jude darted home in a flurry, not wanting to be caught by either Leia or his parents.

His hands deftly moved, picking up some clothes that he knew he could reuse on a journey, tossing some medical journals and books into a bag, packing provisions in case anything were to go awry. Despite feeling the heavy guilt weighing down his heart, Jude knew that he shouldn't waste any more time than this. Not wanting to be scolded by Gaius for being late was one thing, not wanting to leave without saying farewell was another. A pang of loneliness hit his heart at the thought of leaving Leia hanging without a single word, Ellen crestfallen and Derrick disillusioned, but his lips couldn't say those words to them. How exactly should he phrase that he was leaving to keep them safe from enemies that he wasn't aware of until today? And what could guarantee that if he told either of them of where he was going—not that he had the slightest inkling of where—that Leia wouldn't come after him?

It was his only choice to keep all of them safe here in Leronde, wasn't it?

Moving about as quickly as possible in his room, Jude chucked in some important documents if he needed to establish details about himself. Finally cramming everything inside his bag, Jude hoisted it over his shoulder and tried to exit his room, but not before taking one last good look at it. Some of his clothes were still peeking out of the closet, and most of his papers were already cleared away from his study desk, but the longing feeling inside his heart ached to be released. Nevertheless, a promise was a promise. He vowed to protect everyone dear to him, and chose to follow Gaius to safety instead.

Jude Mathis simply had no alternatives left.

Shutting the door behind him, he dashed down the stairs and left his house, locking the doors behind him once more. In the distance, he could see both Rowen and the king waiting for him under a street lamp, a relieved look visibly evident on the elderly's face, and the same detached expression on Gaius'. If before this, his parents were the one taking care of him, now, it was the two of them who would change Jude's life. A tremendous progress from bumbling teenage years into appalling adulthood, and Jude was well aware of it.

"Are you ready to leave, Jude?" Rowen checked up with him, peering at his face closely.

Tossing a discreet look at his bag over his shoulders, Jude hoped to Maxwell that he didn't forget anything important before nodding. "I think so. I took some books, clothes, and documents along, so I hope they're enough."

Rowen nodded curtly. "Good then."

"Where are we going?"

"Off to the seahaven, our private ship's already waiting for us. From here, we will go directly to Xian Du, where we'll have to do a bit of hiking to reach Kanbalar, where the castle is. Our main priority is getting you there safe without harm, though be rest assured that you'll be fine because Gaius is a fine fighter."

Jude nearly vibrated out of his skin when the full brunt of the situation finally hit him when he heard the word _castle_. The castle. That man to his left was a king, and he owned it. The man to his right was Conductor Ilbert, advising the king on his course of actions. And Jude himself, the typical Leronde denizen, was about to embark on an adventure without telling anyone else about it. Just within ten more minutes itself, his whole life would be turned upside down and he would never be the same again.

Without waiting for their conversation to finish or even waxing sentimental for Jude's sake, Gaius walked ahead, already traipsing down the cobblestone pathway as the chilly midnight breeze blew hard. Strands of his long, black hair floated in the air, a gentle glow to his strong personality, and Jude found himself staring in a transfixed manner at the man's broad back, lost in his own thoughts. This was the King of Auj Oule, who came all the way from another territory to take him away for his own safety. This man, along with his advisor, knew more things about himself than he ever did in fifteen years of his life.

What would become of him in ten years time, if he were still alive, having learned of those sinister secrets?

Would he still be the same in the end?

It was yet another question that Jude couldn't answer for now.

For some inexplicable reasons, Gaius then stopped in his tracks, turning around to look at him. His crimson eyes looked at Jude from underneath shadowy bangs, full of clandestine intentions that the boy couldn't possibly read unlike before. Arst Outway and King Gaius seemed like two different people now, of split personalities and doppelgangers, and Jude inhaled sharply when he held Gaius' stare, refusing to back down.

His thin lips parted and a glint of white teeth was visible.

"You _will_ follow me, Jude."

**「つづく」****to be continued…**

* * *

**Next time on Meta:Mor:Phose **

_"You don't have to worry if I need to fight back," he voiced up, frowning delicately at the older man. "I have combat skills, so I can—"_

_Without even waiting for Jude to finish his sentence, the man swiftly grabbed Jude's shoulder and spun him around, causing the boy to stumble in his tracks as the world swirled in blurred colours before his eyes. His skin prickled when a large hand grabbed both of his wrists tightly and twisted them behind his waist, putting Jude into an uncomfortable position that certainly had him writhing in the middle of the lobby. "H-hey—!"_

_Obviously unaffected, Gaius' only response was to tighten his hold on both of Jude's wrists singlehandedly, jerking the boy closer until his back pressed against the older man's chest. Jude continued squirming in the position helplessly even as the king leaned downwards, uttering a derisive statement into his ear: "What if your apprehenders are bigger, _much_ stronger than you are? What will you do, Jude?"_


	4. Chapter 3: I am an Agent of My Own

**A/N:**

_Thanks for all of the reviews, favourites, and well—everything! Not sure how I can thank you guys, other than having this little thanking corner, and that's about it. So yeah, thanks a lot, __**KalasFiction, StrawberryLover776, manouchan, and Pandahil383**__ for the reviews, __**pan94, Ren Seragaki (is that a shoutout to DMMD? 8D ), manouchan, and elusiveangel35**__ for putting this in the alerts list, and also putting it on the favorites list too. _

_TBH though, I don't like this chapter. I can't seem to get it to flow smoothly because I wrote it from different sources (my phone, laptop, etc) and when I pieced them together, it's like wearing some patchwork shiet. OTL oh well… at least chapter 5&6 are already written out. So I'm just kicking out this chapter for the heck of it. /flips chapter _

* * *

Lakutam Seahaven's settings included a romantic, sunset-lit background with ashen clouds and drifting seagulls. Jude's exploration of his textbooks never once brought him this close to a place with a constant spirit clime, and hearing the other sailors chatter about bringing their dates here for an eventful day was enthralling. Much to his disappointment though, both Rowen and Gaius couldn't possibly share his enthusiasm about something childish like a constant spirit clime—not that he dared to share the notion with them either, so he kept his excitement to himself and only allowed the constant darting of his eyes to be the indication of his exhilaration.

Despite being in another country—a place far away from his home in Leronde, everything looked almost the same to him. There were peddlers of sorts at the seahaven, merchants haggling prices with their customers, mercenaries listening to the request of their clients, and sailors bustling about with the bulk of their cargos. Jude tried his best to keep up with the king and his advisor, but every now and then, he would get distracted by the scent of the familiar salty breeze as wisps of his hair pricked his eyes and made them sting. The intangible unfamiliarity wouldn't bother him, he thought, but he had a lingering feeling that somehow, he'd be proven wrongly about it.

As soon as they reached the highroad, Jude wasn't surprised to see some of the monsters creeping nearby, on the prowl for their preys. He did follow Leia for some of her adventurous trips to the Felgana Mine because he didn't want her to get hurt, so fighting wasn't unfamiliar to him, but then Rowen turned around and poured a glittering bottle of dust on him. Holy dust. A _Holy Bottle_ used to make enemies avoid him. He wasn't sure if his face could ever get the hang of looking offended, but he was starting to feel that it might be used a lot more often now than he thought.

"I'm not a child, I can fight," Jude pointed out disappointedly, unaware of the fact that whenever he sulked, his bottom lip would jut out and his eyebrows squished together. "I won't hold you back, promise."

Rowen shook his head with his hands kept behind him, looking very much like a tutor disproving the disciple's behavior. "That isn't the point, Jude," he stated. "The point is that we get to Kanbalar as soon as possible with very little damage. Of course," he chuckled a little when he caught Gaius' flickering gaze, "If it were only the two of us traveling, then His Majesty would make sure that he removed everything in the path."

"… huh…"

A winded sigh left Jude's mouth and the matter was pretty much settled when Gaius walked out of the conversation he wasn't even a part of.

Such was the authority of the king.

* * *

**Meta:Mor:Phose**  
_Chapter 3: I am an Agent of my Own_

* * *

"_This_ is the squirt?!"

"Settle down, Agria."

"Don't go telling me that, you old fart."

Jude belatedly wondered if his growth spurt was bad for a teenage boy, not that the girl in red seemed to be faring better than he was. Although the boys back in Leronde often teased him with many different nicknames and insults when he was young, he never minded them because Leia was always bashing them up with the skills she acquired from the Demon of Leronde, Sonia. But then again, he had to wonder if his lack of growth was due to some sort of malfunction somewhere inside his brain, probably linked up to his mana lobe—though hopefully, he was normal enough to pass as a boy and **not** a girl, like what Gaius seemed to be treating him.

"Old fart? You take that back, young miss."

"You're an old fart and that's a girly squirt."

Scratch that. He _really_ needed a growth spurt.

"Agria." Gaius finally spoke up, causing the girl to freeze promptly in her carefree, borderline psychotic actions of balancing on the wall overlooking the rushing river underneath. "Is everything in place?"

"Y-Yes, Your Highness," she instantly jumped off from the wall, straightening up in front of him and giving the man a slight bow. "Jiao is overlooking the proceedings of the tournament scheduled here and Wingul's handling the palace matters as usual. Meanwhile, Presa," her tone took an awfully scathing one as the corner of her lips stretched into an aggravated sneer, "Is busy tending to her boy toy. Don't know why that asshole dropped by though."

"Alfred is at the castle?" Rowen chimed in, looking very much concerned with her report as his brows knitted together. "Oh dear… he always comes in at the most inappropriate of all timings."

That statement made Agria howl in laughter and Jude almost took a step back at how such an innocent-looking girl with pale tresses felt all very much like a deceitful façade. "That's an asshole for you," she scoffed, rolling her eyes in such an exaggerated manner as she tossed her head back, all caustic and gritty. "When the hell did Auj Oule get all buddy-buddy with Elympios anyway?"

And such vulgar language too.

Jude wasn't sure of how much more he could tolerate from her but not wanting to displease Gaius or even get himself thrown into the river, he pressed his lips together and tried not to get offended. He didn't know her personally, after all, and getting on her nerves was the last thing he wanted to do on the list. At least being called 'squirt' was better than 'do-gooder Jude' back in Leronde. Oblivious to Jude's winding train of thoughts, Gaius, meanwhile, seemed to have already perfected the art of ignoring Agria's lunatic babbles, and only focused on getting straight to the core of the conversation.

"Agria, return to the castle immediately and inform Wingul to make necessary preparations."

That immediately shut her up. "Y-Yes, Your Highness, right away." Unceremoniously, Agria turned away and fled the site, leaving the three of them alone again once more.

"What shall we do now, Gaius?" Rowen turned to look at the king, who stared into the distance quietly. "We can afford to ignore Alfred for the time being, seeing that Presa is keeping him company, but sooner or later…" the elderly man trailed off, rubbing his beard out of habit again. "He is going to be quite a bit of concern for us…"

"Indeed."

The two men started to walk ahead, exchanging words in low voices, and Jude trailed from behind almost cautiously, not knowing where he stood in the midst of all the mess going on. Who was Alfred and why were the two of them very bothered with the man? If he was someone who could make King Gaius and Rowen themselves worried, then this surely spelled trouble. Lacking knowledge of the subject but not wanting to overstep his boundaries by asking questions, Jude made the wise decision of keeping a listening ear available just in case the subject turned back onto him.

For the time being, the boy freed a part of his mind and decided to explore the sights, smells and sounds of the new city. Xian Du seemed like an exciting place when compared to boring old Leronde, as the merchants shouted discounts from their wares and the loud noises from everywhere gave the place a lively atmosphere. Large tapestries hung from the cliffs above; bold, glimmering golden threads glittering under the harsh desert sunlight, and Jude could feel his skin prickling with the heat as his face felt positively warmer. Unused to such warmth, he dabbed off beads of sweat with the hem of his shirt and resumed strolling down the cobblestone pathways, letting his eyes rove about. There were multitudes of gargantuan statues that decorated the sides of the roads and the river, all of them aged and bearded—grand things for grand cities, he supposed.

Coming across some children running about hitherto, chasing one another without a single care in the world, Jude watched in growing amusement as their parents struggled to control their misbehaviour. If Leia was with him, then she surely would've joined in the fun with the kids, braiding the girls' hair and playing catch with the boys. Unnoticed, the smile on his face gradually lost its lustre and Jude found himself staring at his moving feet on the ground, lost in his own thoughts. Big cities were fun, he realized, but he really didn't have anyone to share his enthusiasm with at all.

Maxwell forbid, if he really did share his thoughts with either Rowen or Gaius, he surely would be the subject of ridicule.

_'I better get used to things fast,'_ Jude thought to himself, trying to get his motivation in gear. He was doing this for the right reason, to protect the people he loved, and it wouldn't take him far in the future if he couldn't adapt to changes in his life easily. That was what adulthood meant, or so what his father always instilled in him anyway.

Raising his head and squaring his shoulders, the boy followed Gaius and Rowen like a lost puppy from behind, trying to cover the grounds that grew between them. Since they both had bigger builds than him, their strides were definitely larger, making it quite a hassle for him to catch up, but thankfully it didn't leave him winded since he used to run after Leia all the time. The three of them made their way towards an impressive-looking double door sitting atop a few steps, designed with ornate tribal-like carvings, and it only took a single push of Gaius' hand to force one of them open.

Then, _it_ started.

At first, what Jude expected was that Gaius himself would step in, so naturally, the boy stood before the doorway and allowed room for the king to enter. After all, the man was a king and one should always respect the king, right?

What Jude certainly didn't expect was a complete standstill in front of the inn, where both him and Gaius were standing around, the former looking visibly befuddled and the latter as impassive as usual. Gaius didn't move from the spot, simply holding the heavy door open with an outstretched arm, staring at the boy with a quirked brow. Now Jude, on the other hand, jerked his head backwards slightly in surprise. Whether or not Gaius had seen the shock on his face, he probably didn't give much care about it, so _perhaps_ Jude had misinterpreted the surfacing gleam of something in his wine red eyes. But it kept niggling at him like an unsolved equation.

Braving himself, Jude surreptitiously tried to catch the man's eyes again. Something clicked right inside his mind the moment golden eyes brushed past crimson ones. Then he flushed, keeping his head bowed.

… was Gaius amused with him?

Mentally, Jude shook his head hard. That sounded strange. Gaius? Amused? It felt like those two didn't belong in the same sentence together.

There was no way the King of Auj Oule was amused with how Jude seemed adamant on letting him go inside first, right?

"Please enter, Jude," Rowen kindly reminded him from behind, blissfully unaware of the exchange that had happened right before of his eyes. Maybe older people were less sensitive to subtext, but then again, Jude thought that Rowen probably decided to brush it off since it was a conduct of professionalism anyway. Not wanting to hinder the traffic any longer, Jude abashedly mumbled a small, "Thanks," to the king's graciousness as he stepped inside the magnificent-looking inn that had staircases on each side, leading up to the rooms on the second floor. He heard the door closing behind him and looked over his shoulders, watching as the Conductor walked right up to the counter, presumably to book some rooms for them.

Leaving the two of them behind.

By themselves.

Jude wasn't even sure if he should be making small talk to ease off some of the lingering stretch of silence, but Gaius had beaten him to the chase and stated offhandedly, "You'll be resting here for the time being while Rowen and I attend to other matters. Do not step outside the inn, understand?"

"Don't step outside?" the other echoed, eyes wide. Why shouldn't he go out and explore the city while they were conducting their official business? Was this part of Gaius' scheme of treating him like a girl again? A tad bit confused with how the older man wanted to control him, the boy crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. "Not even a quick look around?"

As usual, Gaius was very firm about his decision. Not even a single flinch. "No. I understand that you are curious about Xian Du, Jude, but now isn't the right time. It is the season for the tournament that takes place once every decade, and many outsiders will be present in the city. You won't be safe by yourself out there."

That same subject again? A discontented look chanced upon his face and Jude averted his eyes, trying his best not to feel like he was being treated like a child all over again. If he thought Leia was babying him, then these two were certainly smothering him with their over-protectiveness. "I can take care of myself, really." Jude tried to give the man a convincing smile, but it faltered when Gaius returned it with the same inexpressive look he always had on his face. "Well... Uh... I can take care of myself well enough without getting into trouble, at least."

"That isn't sufficient, nor is it convincing enough." Gaius shot back at Jude's defiance, looking rather ticked by now. "You'll be caught in danger."

"You don't have to worry if I need to fight back," he voiced up, frowning delicately at the older man. "I have combat skills, so I can—"

Without even waiting for Jude to finish his sentence, the man swiftly grabbed Jude's shoulder and spun him around, causing the boy to stumble in his tracks as the world swirled in blurred colours before his eyes. His skin prickled when a large hand grabbed both of his wrists tightly and twisted them behind his waist, putting Jude into an uncomfortable position that certainly had him writhing in the middle of the lobby. "H-hey—!"

Obviously unaffected, Gaius' only response was to tighten his hold on both of Jude's wrists singlehandedly, jerking the boy closer until his back pressed against the older man's chest. Left without a choice, Jude continued squirming in the position helplessly even as the king leaned downwards, uttering a derisive statement into his ear: "What if your apprehenders are bigger, _much_ stronger than you are? What will you do, Jude?"

That made him stop struggling.

Then, the reality sank in, skin deep.

As much as he hated to admit it, Gaius did have a point. Bigger, taller men were obviously a challenge for Jude, who was—like what Agria screeched—a squirt for his age. If someone caught him, then he would definitely have quite a bit of trouble fighting back. It would be even harder for him to escape if someone knocked him out, carrying him elsewhere. With how much of a priority he was, Gaius and Rowen would have a fit in trying to get him back. But still, Jude wanted something to be proven. Swallowing hard, he looked over his shoulders and squinted upwards, where the king was observing him. He definitely needed Gaius to agree that he was more than capable in the affairs of fistfights, even though his only redeeming quality was his high agility.

Taking the boy's silence as a signal of his submission, the man gradually lessened his grip on Jude's wrists until he was able to let them slip through his grasps. Jude had to thank him for that; if Gaius held him in that position for a few more minutes, his blood circulation could've been cut off. In fact, now that Jude had pulled his arms up and rubbed his sore wrists as he stepped away, he could somewhat see the faint beginnings of a bruise that could blossom any minute now. Rings of deep reds encircled his wrists, almost like a handcuff, and Jude frowned in disappointment at the markings.

"Hey... Your Majesty...?" he started, looking at the man squarely in the eye. "Can you do it again?"

His request obviously caught the older man off-guard. "Do what?"

"Just try to grab me again," Jude clarified, taking a deep breath, readying himself for what was to come. "I want to show you something."

If Gaius was baffled at his request, he did a good job not showing it. All he did was to grunt, looking at Jude straight in the eyes to signal that he was going to repeat his actions. Jude returned the look with a decisive nod, steadying his mind and trying to activate his senses like what Sonia taught him to do. To feel one with Sylph. To let his body follow the light rhythm of his nimble feet. To glide away from incoming danger.

As soon as Gaius outstretched his arm in the midst of re-enacting his motion of grabbing Jude earlier, the boy used his dominant feet to take a step backward from his original position. He knew that from Gaius' trained eyes of an experienced warrior, backstepping was just child's play, but his next action made the man's eyes widen just a fraction. Without even making a single noise, Jude swiftly sidestepped and allowed his body to be carried by the wind before stopping behind the king's broad frame.

He felt a surge of triumph when Gaius' shoulders stiffened, obviously feeling a new presence behind him.

"... Hmph."

That was the king's only acknowledgement to Jude's prized skill, which he aptly named _snap pivot_.

"I'm not strong enough like you to break free from tight holds, but I'm fast enough to avoid them," he spoke up, smiling a little. "So will you let me go now?"

Unexpectedly, it wasn't Gaius who replied. Rowen simply strode into his view from the counter, with sound claps and appraising smile lighting up his face. "That was mighty impressive, Jude," the Conductor praised him with delight dancing in his eyes. Keeping his hands folded behind his back, he glanced over at the king, who didn't comment anything else further, and shook his head. "I haven't seen anything like that before. How did you ever come about that unique ability that you just harnessed?"

Warm red blotted over his cheeks at the man's compliment. It really wasn't anything so impressive like what Rowen made it become, it was just developed for the very same reasons he just answered Gaius: to avoid attacks. Being the least popular boy in Leronde, getting teased, mocked, bullied, and even ostracised was a daily issue for him to face every morning when he was young. Weak and girly were what they called him, refusing to invite him for games of tag and hide-and-seek, so Leia was his only solace. She asked him to join her for practices with her mother and together, they trained hard in order to absorb the skills of a martial artist.

And that way, he wasn't so lonely anymore.

Swallowing a paragraph of embarrassing details that wouldn't help his argument, Jude just rubbed the back of his head—effectively ruffling kempt black locks—and stuttered, "I-It's nothing, really. I used to train together with Leia since her mother is quite the fighter… so it really helped me out in a pinch."

The old man opened his mouth to add in a few comments to his statement, but Gaius effectively overtook the older man and frowned dismissively at Jude. "You're still not allowed to leave the inn. Perhaps after we've reached Kanbalar I will reconsider letting you step outside with someone to accompany you, but now is not the right time. You'll stay here until we've finished our business."

Rowen's mouth snapped shut with a click. Looks like that seemed to be the consensus after all.

Realizing that an argument with the king was bound to lead him nowhere, Jude swallowed yet another whole paragraph of defensive statements which explained that he wasn't a child, _yet again_, and contentedly nodded. "All right, if you say so." He tried his best not to let the disappointment show on his face, but maybe it was evident from his body language as Rowen kindly spoke up for him, "Our room is upstairs, Jude, right in the middle. Please rest since you're probably tired from our journey as we attend to our business."

Almost reluctantly, he nodded and waved them farewell before heading upstairs.

* * *

_"… inappropriate… Jude wouldn't…"_

There were whispers in the room.

_"I know… he'll prove to be… then…"_

Were the whisperings happening right behind him?

_"What about Alfred… keeping him away… from Jude…"_

The murmurings grew louder and louder as the sleeping boy slowly roused from his evening nap.

_"He wouldn't be… when the time comes… Jude will know what's best for him."_

Eyes foggy, head still drifting in the land of dreams, Jude stifled a yawn when he heard his name being mentioned repeatedly in the room. Since both Gaius and Rowen wanted him to rest earlier, he had no choice but to spend his time inside the spacious room, picking out the best bed out of the six and making the most out of his stay by remaining included revising his notes and reading up on some of the books that he carried along, until there was bleak darkness outside the inn with stars lighting up the murky skies. Entertaining his boredom soon grew tiring and fruitless wishing for company was useless, so he eventually stretched out on the bed, fast asleep in seconds.

_"If only he knows the truest extent… one can only hope that Alfred will back down."_

Though it didn't look like he should be sleeping any longer.

Despite still being sleepy and feeling as though his head could pop back on the fluffy pillow (his first time on the ship took such a terrible toll on his body, he noted), Jude pinched his brows together and tried to rub the slumber away from his eyes as the voices became clearer and clearer to him. Words and varying intonations became more pronounced and making more sense to his sleep-addled mind, Jude contemplated whether he should sit up and indirectly announce that he was awake so that they wouldn't be having this conversation in front of him. His guilty conscience bit away at his do-gooder self,_ 'Eavesdropping is bad, don't make a habit out of it,'_ but when else would he get answers that he shouldn't have anyway?

Gaius would never tell him, the secret would be taken to his grave.

It was either now or never, he realized.

All ears now, Jude tried to listen intently to the two voices present in his room, hands tightly fisted in the sheets.

"Your Highness, the House of Svent's patriarch is a resilient man," Rowen spoke up with a note of severity, his voice now loud and clear. There was the sound of footsteps, as he probably paced about in the room, though Jude couldn't see the expression on the older man's face when he threw out his concerns. "He makes himself a jolly, blasé chap, but we all know that he has other intentions behind that smile of his."

A murmur. "I am aware of that."

"If he does find out that Jude is possibly the one and if he instigates war in order to take the boy away… I'm afraid even Maxwell cannot help us. Nor his vessel. Their technology is to be feared…"

"If he dares to take Jude away from me, then I won't hesitate to declare war on Elympios and crush him with my bare hands. I will win this fight," Gaius growled deeply, a tint of viciousness seeping into his tone. It made Jude curl up a little on his sheets, fear shimmying down his spine at how alarmingly threatening the king sounded like. It was like a slippery slope; once he started listening, he couldn't stop as he continued to wait with bated breath, knowing the things he wasn't supposed to _know_.

From Rowen's side, the old man's pacing dramatically halted.

"Are you sure about that?"

"You dare to doubt my resolve?" Gaius bit back.

Then the pacing resumed.

"Not at all, Your Highness, I was merely concerned. From what I've witnessed so far, it doesn't look like Jude's aware of the situation he's in. I don't blame the poor boy though, there's a lot on his plate. But I'm more concerned with the enemies who might come and take him away, the ones lying low and waiting for the right moment to strike, the enemies in our blankets. At this point, I'm unwilling to trust both Rashugal as well as Elympios, despite our diplomatic relations. I'm sure you understand my apprehension."

A pause.

"You needn't worry anything." There was the sound of Gaius' heavy boots hitting the floor as he stood up, coming closer and closer to where Jude slept. The boy instantaneously screwed his eyes shut, trying to feign sleep so that everything would seem ordinary, but even with his sense of sight already blurred into a sea of black, he could feel the presence of the king standing right before his bed. Sweat threatened to drip down his temple at the pressure of Gaius' company and his body froze, but the man went on calmly as he ordered, "Focus on completing your task, Rowen, as I am the only one capable enough to protect him."

Gaius' words rang endlessly in the room.

Jude's world seemed to slide to a halt.

His stomach felt as though there were pinpricks of ice and nauseating butterflies.

The old man chuckled heartily at Gaius' response and the sound of his footsteps faded even further into the distance, as he neared the exit of the room. "I'm glad to hear it, Gaius." The door creaked open, noises from the lounge downstairs filtered into the room, and Rowen called out almost cryptically, "I'm sure Jude appreciates whatever you're doing for him as well," before closing the door with a heavy thud, leaving the two of them in an estranged silence.

Jude curled up into a tight ball on his side, trying to pass it off as nonchalantly as possible despite the brewing turmoil in his head. What they discussed about pertained to his situation in the future. They spoke in such vague terms but Jude wasn't an idiot; he could definitely piece up the information that he gathered so far. What could Elympios possibly want with him? Not only Elympios, but Rashugal too? He was _'the one'_ for what? And why was Gaius so keen on… protecting him? His fingers trembled slightly on the sheets; as much as he tried to stop the tremors, he couldn't. Mom told him that his habit of poking his nose into other people's matters would inevitably bring him some trouble, and he was starting to think that he should've taken her advice to heart. But how could he afford to play ignorant when not only his life, _everyone's_ lives were at risk?

What destiny did Maxwell had so intricately laid out for him?

It was then he felt a hand on his shoulder again—the same one that effortlessly rendered him immobile in the lounge earlier—and Jude found himself rolling over to lie on his back, with a very insistent pressure forcing him down.

He couldn't see Gaius, but he could hear a sigh from the king.

"Jude, forget everything you've heard so far."

… so Gaius knew that he was awake after all.

That made him feel like a Howe prize winner idiot. Gaius was the finest fighter throughout Auj Oule's history after all; surely sensing whether his enemies were awake or asleep would be child's play for him—nothing like Jude thought he could deceive. Finding no point in feigning sleep any longer, his eyes slowly fluttered open, one blink, two blinks to adjust his sight, and then he was greeted by the soothing amber glows of the mana lamps in the room. And Gaius' disproving look, merely an arm's length away from him. The jolt to his brain was instantaneous; waves of discomfort and uncertainty washed over his nerves and all Jude could manage was to avert his eyes, opting to look elsewhere instead of the way the king's hair seemed to fall over his cheeks gently, a curtain of black highlighted with ochre undertones of the lighting.

His throat felt dry.

"I know. I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Jude's tongue quickly darted out, wetting his chapped lips, and he tried to clear his throat to no avail. Words could barely leave his mouth at the weight of what they meant to him, and expressing himself clearly was never his strongest point, but— "…Gaius?"

The king tilted his head to the side, crimson eyes fervently trained on Jude, tracing down the arcs from the bridge of his nose to the curves of his lips. "Hmm?"

Jude had to say it.

Even if it seemed presumptuous of him, there was nothing else he could do to pay back the king but with words. Words were all he had left to his name as Jude Mathis, the fifteen-year-old son of a doctor. And with words, he wanted to change something.

He wanted to prove his worth to both Arst Outway, his friend, and King Gaius, his protector.

"Rowen's right. You have my thanks."

Still avoiding the older man's gaze, Jude gently brushed off the hand on his shoulder and turned to his side, letting his eyes slip shut as he tried to resume his unduly interrupted rest. After all, tomorrow would be yet another day full of traveling and hiking, if he recalled what Rowen said correctly, and he didn't want to be lagging behind the two of them—a deadweight, in layman's terms.

Though if only Jude had bothered to stay awake and glimpsed over at the king, then he would've seen the strange, distant look splayed on Gaius' face.

A dull ache of something _unnamed_ began to form between them that day.

**「つづく」****to be continued…**

* * *

**Next time on Meta:Mor:Phose**

_"It's nothing like th-that!" the kid's hands flailed everywhere in front of him as if it could help to banish the misunderstanding. With a hilariously comical display like that, Alvin couldn't resist a chuckle at Jude's obvious naivety; heck, if the boy was going to live here, then he'd sure as hell make it a point to drop by every now and then to harass Jude just for kicks. And that was also why Gaius hated it whenever he was in town. "Due to some… circumstances," Jude continued, so painfully oblivious to how Alvin was enjoying this moment; "I have to live here with him. He's really not kidnapping any kids." A pause. Then a doubtful note. "At least, I don't think he is…"_


	5. Chapter 4: I Don't Like This Guy

**A/N:** _tbh I have three assignments due next week, a possible midterm test tomorrow that I haven't studied, and a cosplay event that I need to attend because of stuffs and I'm still here, in front of my laptop, updating this story. /facepalm Apologies if you see any mistakes in this chapter because it's kinda like a RAW manga scan, I didn't proofread or anything and I'm just kicking it out of my system. ( ≧Д≦) /HYPERRR STARLIIIGHTTT KICKKKK_

_Also also alsooooo, thanks to the awesome chicks who left reviews **(Pandahil383, LonelyBlackrose, Kalas Fiction, and manouchan)** , all of you unnamed peeps who also read this stuff. (´；д；`) /sacrifices soul on the altar as an offering for dem rapidly rising views_

_So. Yeah. Enjoy? ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ_

* * *

"_Achoo!_"

"Oh my... Are you all right, Jude?"

Gaius stopped in his tracks, looking over his shoulders when the sound of crunching snow stopped right behind him. Greeted with the sight of Jude furiously rubbing his hands together in an effort to warm himself, he found himself staring blankly. In the harsh snowy weather, he could hardly expect a skinny boy with an effeminate stature—wearing nothing but a sleep-wrinkled shirt and a pair of pants—to keep himself warm,_especially_ someone like Jude. Gaius found himself wondering if he had seen a fifteen-year-old boy smaller than Jude was.

… nope, he most definitely hadn't seen one as frail as him before.

"I-I think I'm fine…" the boy tried to convince the Conductor, in which he could see that it was clearly a lie. Jude's lips, which were usually shades of warm reds, began to look like a gradient of lavenders fading to Princessia pinks. His shoulders pinched together, arms glued to his sides, trembling hands and legs were all that Gaius needed to conclude that if he didn't do something, then the boy might as well dig himself a grave right there and then.

In a heartbeat, the man shrugged off the trench coat he wore and trekked backwards, stopping in front of a shivering Jude, who gave him a shaky smile. He didn't like to talk much—talking wasted time and energy, and he'd very much prefer to spend them on something else more beneficial for his country—and chose to drape the heavy material over the boy's head. Gaius didn't need to look at Jude's expression to know that it would most likely be a mixture of surprise or even gratitude because he had studied the boy well enough by now, and turned around, walking away silently.

"G-Gaius!" he heard Jude's little squeak, slightly muffled underneath the coat, and the sound of crunching snow followed him from behind rapidly. "Aren't you going to get cold…?" the boy piped up, tiny fingers peeking out and clutching the embroidered hems of the coat's lapels. "You really should take this coat and wear it instead."

That made him toss a sceptical look at Jude. "I live here. I'm already used to the weather."

"But—"

"You should focus on warming yourself, then we'll talk."

He stated that as-a-matter-of-factly, and Jude's lips sealed shut.

An unsaid 'thank you' lingered in the chilly air between the two of them.

* * *

**Meta:Mor:Phose**  
_Chapter 4: I Don't Like This Guy…_

* * *

King Gaius' castle was ridiculously huge. That or Jude hadn't seen many big houses before, but he figured that it was an Auj Oule thing where the buildings as well as statues had to be huge and mighty, just like the ruler himself. There was a large bonfire lit in the middle of the castle's foyer, lighting up the historical interior of Gaius' abode, and the warmth seeped into his body like the way Leronde's hot chocolate would. Upon arrival, Rowen briefly informed him that if he needed anything, he should just reach out to the nearest servant for necessary help. Apparently, even his room was already set up with the most lavish of royal necessities, and all it needed for completion was Jude's presence in there.

And of course, Rowen hinted with a slight wink that if Jude wanted to do some exploring, then he was more than welcome to treat the castle as his playground.

It was hard to believe that the fearsome Conductor could be a mischievous little old man with a heart of gold, but Jude appreciated the sentiment because the restrictions imposed by Gaius felt so stifling. Servants came up and took away his bag even though he insisted that he should be the one carrying it, and many hands fussed over him as they ganged up to push him down the hallway, with a smiling Rowen waving him away and an unamused Gaius watching from the distance.

Hustled down a series of complicated passageways, Jude struggled to remember the directions because the servants dragged him left, left, right, left, right, before finally entering a corridor with only a single door already unlocked and waiting for him to enter. One of the maids cheerfully dropped his bag on the floor and a servant boy nudged him inside before they queued up in a straight line beside him, all smiles and jolly grins at the way Jude's eyebrows met together, obviously disoriented and confused.

Shades of earthly tones and warm fiery hues were the main themes of decor, and the boy's eyes widened in surprise when he realized that the entirety of his house back in Leronde could actually be the size of his new room. A fluffy, inviting four-poster bed decked with intricate mahogany carvings sat on the right side of the room with matching side drawers, and a study area with wall-sized bookcases occupied the opposite area. The only stark contrast of colours was gentle white snowfall from the bay windows near the vanity and the closet, and a nearby door that supposedly led to his private bathroom.

The grandeur of his new 'home' struck him speechless.

"I hope you like your room!" the female chirped brightly, gesturing all around as the rest of them nodded in unison. "We tried to pick things that you like so that you won't be bored with your stay here. Books on Professor Howe, theorists, and other subjects you might be interested in," she walked over to the bookcase and tapped the hardcover tomes all lined up according to height before making her way towards the closet doors and throwing them open, "Warm clothes for you to wear—"

Jude stared at the neatly hung clothes in embarrassment, head reeling with shame. "H-How did you even know my size?"

"His Majesty told us that you're fifteen but you're smaller than most average boys," the same servant boy piped up, grinning at how Jude's face coloured significantly. "I went with the trendier picks for your casual wear, and with the more formal ones, we've got the tailors to sew them from good, thick materials so that you'll be warm and toasty. Oh, and your coats are folded inside the drawers, just pick out any you like in case you wanna take a walk outside."

"W-Wait," Jude put up his hands in the universal sign for stop, mouth dry. "I…" he trailed off, rubbing his forearms self-consciously when he felt all eyes were on him. "… did Gaius really ask you guys to prepare all of this for me?"

A collective silence.

"He did tell us to prepare this room some time ago," another confessed from behind, a breathy sigh accompanying her words. "We weren't sure if you were really coming here to stay, so we cleaned it up once in a while. It was only yesterday that Lady Agria told us you were coming to stay for real, so we immediately got to work."

"It's nice having you stay here in the palace, you know?" the same maid from before chimed in, nodding gently as she approached him with her hands folded in her lap. "We don't get many guests staying in the palace so when we heard that a young boy like you would be staying for a long time with us, we thought that it'd be a nice change in atmosphere. Besides, it looks like His Majesty is fond of you anyway," she gossiped with a cheeky glint in her eyes. "I always overhear him talking with Sir Rowen about you."

"But most of the time it's boring business stuff," the boy commented drolly with a shrug. "Well, if you need anything, you can reach out to us! We're gonna take our leave since we've got other rooms to check on too."

"We'll see you again, Master Jude," the rest of them collectively bowed at him, making him fidget in unease as one by one, they exited the room and the last maid with the auburn hair flicked a cheeky smile at him before shutting the door with a click.

Left alone in his new room, Jude was at a loss as what the maid said replayed in his mind. Gaius was fond of him? Even back then when he was still Arst Outway, he still kept tabs on Jude and sent word to Rowen, ensuring that he would have a backup plan in case the boy had to live with them. What was so important about himself that he didn't know until a king would go to great lengths so that he'd be protected? It was only a day and a half ago that he was rejected from Talim, destined for nothingness. But now?

Shoulders sagging with the weight of the questions in his head, Jude decided that first and foremost, he would poke around the palace to see if he could do something. He greatly needed a source of distraction and since this was going to be his home for Maxwell knows how long, he might as well make some friends and get to know some people while he was at it too. Surely Gaius couldn't blame him for being in danger since he was just wandering about the man's own secured castle, right? Picking up his bag and putting it to the side, Jude left the room and closed the door behind him, staring down the desolate hallway.

_'It's really empty… I wonder if there's anyone else around.'_

What seemed to be a lively palace earlier looked like it stepped right out of a haunted mansion, filled only with the sound of his echoing footsteps and the crackling of the torches on the walls. Jude strode down the passageway carefully, almost as if he was afraid of breaking something while he was at it, and came across the first junction that the servants pulled him to the right so that he would find his room. Going to the left would mean that he would be on his way back to the large foyer with the bonfire, so the boy opted to walk straight ahead, venturing down the similar-looking corridor to kickstart his adventuring spree.

Though… it did seem to lead to a bad idea.

With every guard he passed by, whose covered face was somewhat intimidating because Jude could feel their eyes following his footsteps, he was getting more and more confused. Everywhere he looked, it was as though the whole place was just copied and pasted all over the place, without a single distinguishing feature. With grand palaces, he expected portraits or at least gigantic statues of the previous rulers just like what he saw in Xian Du, but Gaius' abode featured little of those proud, historical details of Auj Oule. He had read historical titles and learned of the wars between Rashugal and Auj Oule, where the great Commander Ilbert executed his brilliant strategies one by one, and he was rather knowledgeable about some of the tribes in this continent but…

… something didn't feel right to him.

_'It's like Gaius is hiding something…'_ Jude's mind helpfully supplied even as he was on the go, striding through the winding palace without a single clue. _'Is there some sort of unsolved tension in here?'_

His train of thoughts didn't even manage to go that far when he entered a new set of corridors which were designed differently from the ones he encountered before. Instead of warm torches and carpeted walkways, it was all biting coldness and blinding white. There were large arches supported by winding columns to his right, where it led into an open space of blowing snow-peppered courtyard, and a couple of doors leading into what looks to be like some sort of smaller discussion rooms. Jude's wandering gaze immediately caught sight of something small bundled up against a door, a smattering of yellows and purples becoming a stark contrast to the surroundings.

That yellow thing swayed from side to side, and it was only then Jude could make out proper details of the entity.

_'Is that a girl?'_ He immediately tilted his head to the side, confused. _'What's she doing in this cold?'_

Too curious to stand still, Jude took a step forward, trying to approach her. After all, young kids catch colds so easily in this sort of weather—and he would have caught one too, if not for Gaius' coat.

… his good intentions didn't go so well though. The child's head perked up at the sound of foreign footsteps and he caught a glimpse of bright peridot eyes peeking at him underneath shaggy flaxen bangs before she immediately took off down the hallway, her purple dress fluttering like butterflies behind her. The howling blizzard swallowed up the tiny pitter-patters of her boots and Jude watched in disappointment when she disappeared from his sight, as if the growing snow swallowed her whole. What was a child doing in Gaius' palace grounds? Was it one of the occupants' child?

… could she even be Gaius' own child?

Jude made a face at that.

Sometimes, he really shouldn't be thinking too far out of the box, it wasn't any good for his heart.

When he finally reached the same spot where the little girl huddled by earlier, it was only then he realized that the door was slightly ajar. He could hear voices but they were indiscernible, muted murmurings with a deep voice interjecting every now and then. Jude could tell that the low baritone belonged to Gaius, and if the king himself was present in there, then surely Rowen would be together with him. _'Was she trying to hear what they were saying?'_ It was the only conclusion he could derive from what he just saw, and Jude lowered his head in concentration as he tried to pick up what they were saying inside the room.

Then he felt a tap on his shoulders.

* * *

**Meta:Mor:Phose**  
_Chapter 4 and 1/2: Scratch That… I __**Really**__ Don't Like This Guy_

* * *

Never before on his journey to and from Elympios had he ever met someone with golden eyes before.

Especially on a boy.

"Wha—!"

Oh, he couldn't have Goldie over here shouting and ruining everything, could he?

Slapping a hand over the boy's mouth quickly and grabbing him by the shoulder, it didn't even take him much effort to forcefully drag Goldie away from the door and pulling him aside, far enough from the conference room. He was sure that Gaius would skewer him with that badass long_nōdachi_ if he made the slightest ruckus that could interfere his meeting. As much as he knew that many 'fans' of his would love to see him strung up or lynched, he preferred living, thank you very much.

Eyes darting over to check once over everything in visible sight, Alfred Vint Svent—twenty-six years old, single, sexy and rich—finally allowed himself a grin when the coast was clear and removed his hand from the boy's face. He didn't expect the next thing though. What came up to complement vividly coloured eyes were rounded features and dewy complexion, perfectly paired with lips that looked chapped in this weather. Well, Maxwell obviously screwed up on this guy's face because boys weren't supposed to have girly features, right? Then what would happen to other girls who clearly lost to him over here?

"Uh…" Goldie spoke up, all wide-eyed and looking much like a frightened puppy; "Who are you…?"

Oh? Alvin raised his eyebrows in amusement. "Some nerve you have after being caught eavesdropping," he teased with a roguish grin, taking delight in how easily flustered Goldie became within seconds. "What's your business around here?"

The boy started fidgeting in response, looking all discomforted in this sticky situation as he tucked in a lock of his hair behind his ear and averted his gaze. Years of observation and experience taught Alvin one very important thing though: _Never_ trust the innocent ones. Because, quite obviously, the innocent ones were always the devils in disguise. Especially with Goldie's bewitching features, hell, the boy could even be a girl in disguise—and if he wanted to add in more spice to the story, then _'she'_ might even be from the organization Katz 'herself'.

… but that's just taking it too far. Goldie just couldn't be a cross-dresser…

… could he?

"I just started living here today," Goldie spoke up earnestly, peering up at him with curious eyes, and Alvin cursed slightly inside. Drat. Looks like the boy's voice wasn't faked after all. Oh well. He'd still get a good rise out of this little kid though. He observed in growing pleasure when Goldie stuck out his hand, small and slightly callused at the knuckles, being all smiles and sunshine as he introduced himself. "I'm Jude Mathis, nice to meet you."

Alvin felt his grin froze on his face. _Mathis?_ Wasn't that the name of— "The name's Alvin," he offered, trying not to let his guard drop around Goldie—_Jude_, now knowing as sure as hell that this boy truly wasn't what he seemed. Feigning nonchalance, he crossed his hands behind his head and wondered what he ever did to deserve a treasure like Jude to fall into his lap like this. More like sprawled over his lap, if anything. "I didn't hear anything about someone moving in," he struck up a small talk, trying to lure him into the conversation. "Something special going on? Gaius finally made a hobby of kidnapping small kids?"

That one snagged a lot of reaction from Jude.

"It's nothing like th-that!" the kid's hands flailed everywhere in front of him as if it could help to banish the misunderstanding. With a hilariously comical display like that, Alvin couldn't resist a chuckle at Jude's obvious naivety; heck, if the boy was going to live here, then he'd sure as hell make it a point to drop by every now and then to harass Jude just for kicks. And that was also why Gaius hated it whenever he was in town. "Due to some… circumstances," Jude continued, so painfully oblivious to how Alvin was enjoying this moment; "I have to live here with him. He's really not kidnapping any kids." A pause. Then a doubtful note. "At least, I don't think he is…"

Now _that_ made him laugh a little. "Just pulling your leg, kid," he answered good-naturedly, shaking his head as one of his hands automatically darted out to adjust his Fissmauge scarf. A force of habit, he supposed, but it did manage to add an aura of charisma to him every single time without failure. Definitely winning over this boy with how dashingly mature he looked too. "Anyway, you shouldn't be standing around in the cold for long," he tugged at Jude's thin shirt; "You're gonna freeze to death—unless that's what you want, because if that's really your wish, then I'm not stopping you."

"Thanks... uh, Alvin," the kid's smile was twitchy when he shifted away from the contact. "I think I'm just going to get going now, so I'll catch you later—"

Oh no, definitely not so fast.

There was no way he'd let Jude escape without coaxing one thing or two out of him.

"Already?" Alvin faked a look full of disappointment as he slung his arm over the boy's shoulders, effectively trapping him in the process. "Come on, we just met each other and it's already a farewell? Where's the fun in that? Let's go grab a drink in town and—"

The sudden sound of a door slamming and an unsheathed sword cut him off mid-sentence somewhere behind him.

"**You**." A growl. "Get away from Jude." Make that a deep, menacing growl oozing with malicious intents that Alvin was sure he would face the consequences if he didn't obey the command. "Right now."

… _and_ there goes his chance.

Putting his hands up in the air, he stepped away from the kid and turned around just in time to witness a feral glint clouding Gaius' narrowed eyes. As much as he liked getting into trouble, getting to be the one at the end of the king's sword wasn't inside his plan. Not in the near future anyway. One thing that set him on the edge was the look on Gaius' face though; if the king loathed him previously, then right now, he absolutely looked murderous and ready to slit Alvin's throat with just a flick of his wrist. And Gaius never reacted that way towards anyone else. Not even to his advisor, or even the Chimeriad.

His theory was right.

So Jude's definitely the one.

"G-Gaius! Stop that!" Alvin heard Jude shout in horror at the turn of events, rushing over to be by the man's side. If there was one thing he'd salute Jude for, it'd definitely be the way how the kid stood in front of him and simply pushed the sword away with the back of his hand, staring at the king unflinchingly. "Alvin didn't do anything wrong, we were just talking."

Was that defiance he heard in the kid's voice?

As far as he knew, Gaius was never one who tolerated disobedience.

This kid had some serious balls to go against someone twice his size.

"Alvin?" the king repeated, a tinge of incredulousness bleeding into his speech. "That man's not Alvin." He still didn't withdraw from his posture with the blade outstretched and Alvin didn't know whether he should be glad or worried when Gaius jerked his head to the side, motioning for Jude to escape. "Step away before you get hurt."

"I'm not a child, Gaius." A hard edge in the kid's tone. He stood in front of Alvin with amazing calmness when faced with the most fearsome fighter in Auj Oule, and didn't even seem fazed with the king's order. All he did was to shake his head and stare at the black-haired man, refusing to back down without a fight. "You're being ridiculous, put down your sword, _please._"

It definitely wouldn't reflect well on him if his ass was rescued by the do-gooder right here, Alvin noted. He didn't need any saving anyway, not when nobody bothered saving him throughout his entirely miserable twenty six years of life. Lowering his hands but keeping them far away from the gun strapped to his side, he casually threw his arm over Jude's shoulder again and the boy gave him a dubious glance. "He's kind of wrong about that, you know," Alvin spoke up, purposely winking. "My name's Alfred Vint Svent, but only you have the privilege of calling me Alvin."

"Alfred… Vint… Svent…" the boy repeated, letting each syllable roll of his tongue with ease as he lowered his head in contemplation. Alvin had to admit though, it sounded nice when Jude enunciated his name with precision, as if he were savouring some delicate treat instead. "Alfred… Alvin… oh." Something must've clicked when the golden-eyed kid looked up, staring at him straight in the eyes. "You must be the current Duke of Elympios, right?"

Bingo. Not only a looker, but a genius too?

"Looks like you're a brilliant one," he resisted the urge to grin wider at how gratifying it felt when a Rieze Maxian, one not associated with the royalty, could recognize his stature. "That's me, the one and only Alfred Vint Svent. You want an autograph or something? You know, to commemorate our first meeting with each other?" It wasn't as if he won't be meeting Jude again though—heck, now that the boy was already here, he'd make an effort to stick to the boy's side as much as he could.

"I don't think I need one for anything…" Jude contemplated aloud, furrowing his brows. "So thanks, but no thanks." He slid out of Alvin's one-armed embrace with an air of indifference and calmly made his way towards Gaius without as much as turning back to look at the brunet. It was like a chain reaction; with Jude returning to his side, the king lowered his sword and sheathed it, talking to the kid in a low voice. Their conversation was muted, with plenty of guilty looks from Jude's side, and a serving full of reprimanding glowers from Gaius. From that sight alone, Alvin knew that he's going to face some tough competition from the future—not that it didn't get his blood pumping just thinking about it.

But man, ouch. This kid knew how to throw some seriously damaging punches to his pride by just tossing him to the side. Gaius over him, really? Raking a hand through his hair, Alvin wondered if Jude knew what his worth was. He didn't look like he knew what's going on: Jude's new to the dangerous adult life, he could tell that much from the way the boy spoke about living here. And smart, naïve kids were obviously Alvin's expertise in his field of manipulation.

Crossing his arms behind his head and swaying from side to side out habit again, the duke eyed his rival warily. King Gaius, the man whose sheer determination attracted attention nationwide and he singlehandedly united the tribes to form the Auj Oule of today. Life was never easy for Alvin but dangerous challenges were thrilling, especially when it involved a great prize and a chance to go face to face with another ruler.

And things definitely heated up when Gaius looked away from his conversation with Jude, only to shoot Alvin a look so murderous, it could've killed.

Alvin could only grin devilishly at the sheer hatred in the man's eyes.

_'Game on.'_

**「つづく」****to be continued…**

* * *

**Next time on Meta:Mor:Phose**  
_He pulled away just in time to kick some sense into his head. 'Get a grip, self,' he mentally rolled his eyes, almost smacking a hand on his face at the thought. It was a natural law of the world that Alvin's a womanizer, has a weakness for a pretty face (perhaps regardless of the gender too now that he met Jude and the boy made him question his preferences), and he's probably the biggest flirt in Elympios (also rapidly rising in both rank and popularity in Auj Oule). Kissing Jude on the lips was out of the question because he was as sure as hell that he'd be skewered by both Presa and Gaius for such an offending crime, but nobody made a guide of how-to's when he's faced with the situation of a pretty boy dressed to the nines for a dinner date. To make it worse? It's not a dinner date with him, but with his rival._


	6. Chapter 5: Can I Hide It?

**A/N: **_I thought I somewhat have a break from all the assignments and presentations. So I just sat down yesterday night and watched the third Madoka movie, and then suddenly my classmate told me that there are more assignments... (º_º) it was a short-lived excitement so yeah._

_tbh I finished this chapter like a month ago, and I kept it in the drafts here, because I wasn't confident enough to press the 'post' button. The same goes to Eccedenti-argh typing it out is such a *beeeeep* so I'm just gonna call it the Dentist story. Yeah so the same goes to the Dentist story too, but today after I told myself not to procrastinate in posting, here you go. ;u; thanks for all the reviews and favs, you guys are lovely babus!_

_ayyyy so take care, be glorious, be glamorous, and sparkle every day (even though every day I wanna drive a fork through my lecturer ughhh)_

* * *

His first day at Kanbalar castle almost ended.

The skies were darker now and the snowfall got heavier as the seconds ticked by. In the end, other than meeting Alvin and getting to be at the end of Gaius' sword, Jude faintly realized that he hadn't accomplished anything much. Sure, Gaius didn't like that Alvin wanted to get close with him, but he figured that he was old enough to make decisions on his own. Looks were deceiving and Rowen's warning words about the House of Svent's patriarch still rang inside his head, but he knew he could do his best to stay out of trouble, especially when it concerns the bigger continent.

Cozying up in the armchair near his study, Jude cuddled a thick tome in his lap and brushed his fingers against the weathered leather. Filigreed cover, gilded letterings and musky parchment, the boy knew that this wasn't any book easily acquired by anyone else in Auj Oule. In fact, it might be one of a kind. Carefully opening it up, his eyes skittered over the neatly written inky black words and read it carefully, trying to digest its content about the world beyond theirs.

Elympios.

There was little known about that whole chunk of foreign land, where people reportedly used technology that was far more advanced than theirs. In the past, adventurers daren't travel further beyond the sea because there were rumours of people being spirited away, disappearing without a single trace. But now, something broke. What seemed to be like a shell that protected their world cracked in places not many people knew about, and when the adventurous Elympions discovered the holes, they came forth and tried to explore the lands here. Scientists were still trying to understand the 'shell' that surrounded their world, and the Rieze Maxians were also trying their best to accept the Elympions, but that's as far as it went. Now, with more and more people digging up as much as they can about Elympios, it led to the discovery of books they weren't even aware of its existence, locked up and stowed away in nooks and crannies of sealed caves and gorges.

Jude did hear of rumours where King Nachtigal and King Gaius both agreed to treat Elympios as amiably as possible, but things were still rickety in the process. Probably that's also why Alvin frequented visiting Auj Oule too, since Gaius was a lot friendlier than Rashugal's king.

Just as soon as he was about to get immersed into a world of his own, a sound knock came from his doors. Perking up, he kept the book aside and blinked owlishly at the voice coming through the door. "Yes?"

"Master Jude, it's time for dinner. Please get dressed and join His Majesty."

It was probably one of the servants from earlier. Footsteps then echoed outside his room, growing more and more distant before finally disappearing, and Jude was left staring at the door blankly. Get dressed? In the castle? Dinner with Gaius?

…

Him!?

Somewhere far, far away, the aforementioned maid jumped when she heard a loud, "EHHHHHHHHH!?" coming from the boy's room. She froze. Looked over her shoulders. Shrugged. And continued on her journey again.

* * *

**Meta:Mor:Phose**  
_Chapter 5: Can I Hide It?_

* * *

He never thought much about the word 'friendship'.

To him, he had never made any friends before. He didn't need friends. He didn't want friends. All he needed was to rule Auj Oule and make it a prosperous country, protecting his citizens from harm. What he needed was power to vanquish the evil and that's it. So why did Rowen invite Jude over for a dinner that he usually eats alone in his quarters? That question was beyond him; he suspected the commander had ideas of his own and surreptitiously carried it out without his knowledge. That would definitely be the last time he'd entrust something as personal as his schedule with Rowen though.

Gaius glanced over at the wide spread of dinner, all piping hot before his eyes. There were chicken stews, steamed rappig coated in soy sauce, spiced mushrooms, grilled fish served with sour sauce and a wedge of lemon, and more than enough food to cover a week of meals for an ordinary person. It was a custom to serve the king with many dishes but he found it to be quite a wasteful tradition and had specifically ordered for them to reduce the amount of dishes to be served, but they kept committing the same crime all over again. It wasn't until one of his personal maids convinced him that the dishes didn't go to waste; the ones he didn't eat would gladly be divided and finished by the kitchen members themselves, so he allowed them to keep up the situation as long as they finish the food. In the end, it was simply a win-win situation.

But tonight was a huge overkill. Perhaps Rowen had told them of Jude joining him for dinner and they got too excited, making more dishes than ever. He suspected that there'd be a lot of trouble for the two of them tonight to finish them up. Knowing Jude, he barely eats enough for his own age.

Without realizing it, a sigh escaped his lips.

Jude Mathis.

Whenever the subject turned back to the boy, he could feel an incoming migraine. Especially when he recalled how Alfred simply sashayed up to Jude and slung his arm over those thin shoulders, trying to charm his way into a friendship. He wasn't as naïve as Jude; Alfred's presence spelled bad news, especially with how unstable the politics amongst the nations were. There was only one acceptable explanation to the duke's actions, no matter how he looked at it: Alfred wanted to get on Jude's good side as a friend, use the boy, backstab him, and throw him away when he's useless. Somewhere at the back of his head, Gaius could somewhat recall Presa's words when she addressed Alfred, not forgetting to put in _liar, traitor,_ and also _betrayer_.

Somehow, he wondered what sort of relationship they were in for all of those things to be said.

_Knock._

An unconfident thump on the door. Gaius' eyes indolently slid over to the source of the noise.

_Knock knock._

"I-It's me, Jude… can I come in?" a muffled voice spoke up, sounding unsure of himself.

Gaius supposed it was too late to send a maid to tell the boy that he'd much rather have dinner by himself, seeing that Jude was already here earlier than he expected. He vaguely wondered if the boy's just scared of him, yet again just like the door incident in Xian Du, so that was why Jude hurriedly got ready to have dinner with him. Shaking his head at the thought, the king motioned for the nearest maid to answer his call and she swiftly complied, pulling one side of the door open to let him in.

What stood in the doorway was a little pale blob of a boy in dark navy coat trimmed with bright teal hemming, embroidered with bold symmetrical designs and fastened together with gold tassels at the front. He shifted his weight from one foot to another; one second he was ducking his head, the next, he raised it and looked at the king warily. Gaius was rather used to seeing Jude clad in the normal daily wear of Leronde, or even his male nurse uniform whenever he helped out at his parents' clinic, but nothing so elaborate like this. It was quite…_peculiar_, to say the least.

If he was caught staring at Jude, then Jude was obviously doing some staring on his own.

The maid holding the door between them shifted uncomfortably, her eyes darting from side to side.

Another strange silence ensued.

He supposed he would have to be the one to break the ice. Again. "You may enter."

"Thanks…" Jude bowed his head slightly in gratitude and his nimble feet quickly brought him over to the table, where a servant pulled the chair out for him. He sat on the velveteen material with yet another 'thank you' whispered to his helper before finally adjusting himself comfortably, looking at the king with a nervous glance. "Thanks for inviting me for dinner with you," he started awkwardly, and Gaius blinked at that.

"You seem to be thanking a lot of people today."

Jude tilted his head to the side, quizzical. "I am?"

A nod. "There isn't anything wrong with that. Acknowledging someone's help is a respectable action." He didn't bother to mention that Jude's habit of thanking everyone around him was rather odd for a boy his age, because he remembered back from his days, teenagers in his tribe were arrogant creatures. He thought about what to say to his dinner partner because conversations unrelated to his usual business were tricky things that he wasn't quite familiar with, but the burning feeling of Jude's eyes on him felt rather… unsettling. "You've also been staring a lot. Do you need anything?"

Being called out like that made Jude stiffen slightly in his seat, looking as though he'd been electrocuted. "N-No, everything's fine, I have more than I usually need," he shook his head, stray locks of his hair mussing up at the motion. "I'm just kind of… surprised at how you're dressed today. You were always in your suit before this."

His clothes?

Gaius felt his brows rose all the way to his hairlines.

Quite an odd subject.

He stole a glance at his garb, composed mainly of leathers, bits and parts of heavy armour, and finely crafted brocades of fiery dyes. Of course Jude wouldn't have seen him in this outfit before, seeing that he mainly wore his suit to visit Jude so that he'd blend in with the surroundings instead of sticking out like a sore thumb. Between wisps of steam rising from the untouched food splayed between them, Gaius took a sip of his drink before answering the boy. "Did you expect me to walk into Leronde wearing this without drawing attention?"

Jude opened his mouth. Almost comically, he paused. Then he closed it again with an audible click. "You've got a point there… sorry for asking such a stupid question."

Finding no need to reply to such an unnecessary apology, Gaius brushed it aside with a noncommittal tilt of his head. "You should eat before the food gets cold. It would be a waste if you don't."

"Err… right." He decisively nodded before giving the rest of the dinner a weak stare with a twitching smile. "But this is really quite a spread. There're lots of food—most of the stuffs I haven't tried before," Jude admitted with a chuckle, "And to think that we're expected to finish it is really something." He made it a point to avoid Gaius' eyes, scratching his cheek and looking elsewhere instead. A discomfited fidget followed after. "Do you always… eat alone?"

Now Gaius openly stared at Jude.

Among all of the questions he expected from the boy, this definitely wasn't one of them.

If it were someone else in his shoes, then that person would've pestered Gaius for answers about his importance, or at least try to nosey around for hints or clues. But it didn't look that way for Jude. He seemed perfectly content with whatever knowledge he had and didn't try to be an obnoxious hindrance, almost as if he held all of the answers in his hands and was merely dancing along in Gaius' palm. Sometimes, he wondered if Jude's maturity would cease to amaze him in the future. But then again, he's full of surprises so the king figured that it'd be a while before he'd get used to the thought of an understanding, perfectly accepting Jude.

Opting not to give the boy an easy answer, Gaius made a show of selecting some dishes from the spread and distributed the contents evenly onto his plate. "Do you always eat with someone then?"

Startled at the turn of the conversation, he hurriedly mirrored Gaius' actions, picking up the delicacy nearest to him and pushing the meat onto his already tepid rice. A brittle expression. The eyes of someone who faced conflicting emotions. "I used to eat alone," he admitted. "You know how my mom and dad are, they're real workaholics. I cooked things for myself if I ever got hungry, which is almost all the time." He laughed a little, but it rang dull and empty. "But then Leia came along and she won't leave me alone. You know how we fight all the time? She'd bring mabo curry from her dad to make it up to me and we just sit together in the kitchen, eating them all up."

Ah. Gaius could see where this was going.

He took another sip of his drink.

"I thought I got used to being by myself but after all that's happened, having someone to eat together with you is a nice thing," Jude tried to smile with a coy shrug. "You can talk about lots of stuffs just to forget about something stressful or if you want to make friends. It's kind of amazing how you can bond with someone over food, you know?"

"I don't think I can relate to that."

Jude gazed at him almost disbelievingly, a concerned look lighting up his features. "You… don't? Haven't you had dinner with someone before?"

"I've had the company of King Nachtigal, the Chimeriads at times, and Rowen for discussing business," he murmured, lacing his fingers on the table. The food ran cold by now, but this was an affair that needed to be settled lest it becomes a habit for Jude to have meals with him. "Other than that, I prefer to be by myself and finish up as soon as possible so that I can attend to more important things instead of wasting time on such trifles."

"Such… trifles?" Jude repeated incredulously, looking rather offended by now. "Don't you need someone to talk to?"

This was getting out of hand. Ridiculous too, if he might add.

"When you're a man of great importance, a strong figure to lead the others, those novelties shouldn't be a concern to you," Gaius sharply retorted. He could see that his maid and servant were already tossing each other furtive looks, probably unused to seeing someone trying to domesticate the king himself, and he glowered at the hint of sympathy dusting Jude's expression. "While you're chatting away over some food with your company, your citizens are suffering down under. Do you think of me as such a ruler?"

Panic flitted over the boy and he shook his head again, eyes wide. "That's not what I meant, Gaius…! I just thought that if you needed someone to talk to, then I'm willing to listen, that's all. I'm your friend, you can trust me."

Well.

That was unexpected.

Since when was Jude his self-proclaimed friend? The notion itself was utterly ridiculous and he would've smirked at the abysmal thought of it, but Jude looked rather adamant with his proclamation. Sheer determination used for such a wrong intention, and Gaius lamented at how different both him and Jude were. If only the boy would focus on more important things instead of trivial matters such as friends and sharing meals, then he could have been a strong leader, just like Gaius was. But no. Jude Mathis was a boy too weak and too young to think for himself, often making the wrong decisions, and it was up to him to set the boy on the right path.

Before he could even make a sound argument to silence the topic once and for all, his doors slammed open and the maid nearby squeaked, jumping away from the scene.

The one person he didn't wish to see the most stood in his room, wearing a wide grin on his face and looking as dandy as ever.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt your dinner, you two," Alfred simply apologized, but it wasn't the type of apology where it came from the heart, rather it was like an apology scrawled on a piece of paper and slipped underneath the crack of a door. He sauntered into the room, raking a hand through his hair and stopping beside Jude just in time to pull him into one of his one-armed embrace again. The boy flinched and gave the brunet a perplexed look, but Alfred winked and tapped his cheek almost affecti— "I'm gonna head back to Elympios but I don't wanna leave without saying goodbye, so here's my farewell gift for you."

With that, he swooped downwards and pecked Jude's cheek.

And Gaius saw red before his eyes.

* * *

**Meta:Mor:Phose**  
_Chapter 5 and a 1/2: I Really Can't... Can I?_

* * *

Warm. Soft. Lingering scent.

Jude's skin was uncharacteristically like a girl's.

He pulled away just in time to kick some sense into his head. _'Get a grip, self,'_ he mentally rolled his eyes, almost smacking a hand on his face at the thought. It was a natural law of the world that Alvin's a womanizer, has a weakness for a pretty face (perhaps regardless of the gender too now that he met Jude and the boy made him question his preferences), and he's probably the biggest flirt in Elympios (also rapidly rising in both rank and popularity in Auj Oule). Kissing Jude on the lips was out of the question because he was as sure as hell that he'd be skewered by both Presa and Gaius for such an offending crime, but nobody made a guide of how-to's when he's faced with the situation of a pretty boy dressed to the nines for a dinner date. To make it worse? It's not a dinner date with him, but with his rival.

Finding himself at a loss, Alvin straightened up and gave Jude a perfectly cheeky smile, something he knew he perfected from all the years of training. But the boy gawked at him, lips slightly parted and cheeks dusted with scarlet undertones.

Well. That wasn't expected. Alvin scratched his head. _'Great... Now he's giving me that face. What's a man gonna do?'_

"Wh-What was that for!?" a flustered Jude gasped out, pressing a hand to his cheek where Alvin left the kiss, looking as though someone had outright molested him in the hallways or something. "Alvin...! You don't go around giving kisses on the cheek like that!" Jude struggled with the next set of words, gulping down air more than he needed, and he shyly looked away from the man, his voice crumbling. "... Especially to a guy, n-not that I have anything against it."

Feeling like a child admonished by his parent, Alvin managed a lopsided grin and shrugged, backing away. "It's just a parting kiss, no need to make a big fuss out of it." Though really, he can't blame the kid because he was sure as hell questioning what was his motive in giving the kiss anyway. Riling up Gaius was one thing, but the other? Some questions he could never really answer, and he preferred not overthinking either.

Trying not to let it get to him that much, Alvin gave a two-finger salute at Jude and waved him off, walking away with his usual gait. "I'll see you around, kid, Gaius."

Before he could even manage a few steps heading towards the exit, within seconds, there was the familiar clatter of an unsheathed weapon sliced through the air, sharp metallic steel pressed to his nape. Servants gasped in horror at the sight and instantaneously, Alvin knew that he was really buried in some deep shit he brought upon himself. What a lovely day.

"You think you can walk away so easily after trespassing into the king's room? Also, I recall warning you about coming near Jude. That's two crimes in a day, _Duke_ Svent."

Yikes. If this morning Gaius sounded murderous, then right now he's a downright bloodthirsty beast.

"I get to be at the pointy end twice in a day?" Alvin feigned nonchalance, although his hand was slowly creeping towards his holstered gun, readying himself for retaliation. "My, my... What did I do to deserve this honour?"

"You're not even worthy of the word 'honour'," Gaius hissed, traces of resentment evident in his voice. "A man like you isn't worth the title of a ruler."

"Ouch, harsh..."

A patter of footfalls echoed in the room somewhere behind him and Alvin instinctively knew that Jude came to his rescue again. _'Seriously? Twice in a day?'_ he groaned, shaking his head in disbelief. When did he ever fall down this low until some pre-puberty kid had to save him anyway? His luck was seriously down in the dumps today. Talk about having a lovely day indeed.

"Gaius, please don't resort to violence," Jude tried to coax him, all soft pleading voices that Alvin found it rather hard to believe that it belonged to a boy. "You're not going to solve anything like this. Look, I'll make Alvin apologize for what he did."

"His apologies are meaningless. He's the kind of man who'll commit the deed over and over again since he lacks the discipline to control himself and remember his manners."

Double ouch. Alvin fancied himself as one of the most well-mannered and charismatic people in Elympios. Nobles love him, people respect him. What more did he need to prove it anyway?

"Gaius." Jude spoke up again behind him, and Alvin could feel the nick of the blade lifted up from his nape. Well, that was a big relief... Until he heard more gasps and saw a maid fainting from the corners of his eyes. That couldn't mean anything good. He craned his head over his shoulder and saw Jude with his hand outstretched, grasping the blade of Gaius' sword with his bare hand. And Alvin's eyes widened when he turned around and saw the full extent of the damage Jude inflicted on himself, blood dripping onto the ground and staining the rugs a deep shade of red. Unfazed, Jude went on unflinchingly, "You have to stop this, I mean it. I don't want anyone hurt."

Alvin wasn't sure what to make of it.

Jude said he didn't want anyone hurt but he chose to hurt himself for what reason again? To make Gaius stop his fit of murderous spree?

Whatever it was, it worked on him. The king seemed to relax from his stance and Jude released the grip he had on the sword, letting his bleeding hand dangle by his side. Gaius didn't make a move; he lowered his weapon but his eyes travelled to the kid's hand, staring at it long and hard as though he didn't like what he saw. It didn't bother Jude though. He exchanged glances between Gaius and Alvin, decided that there wasn't any more animosity between them, and finally decided to get concerned with how he was bleeding waterfalls onto the carpet.

Alvin slapped a hand to his forehead, finding the whole thing very surreal-even bordering on downright bizarre. "Kid, you're reckless as hell, you know?"

"I'm not reckless," Jude huffed, not even bothering to make eye contact as he continued examining the wound on his hand. "I just don't want to see you get killed, or let my friend kill someone."

"You should get that treated right away," Gaius uttered, wiping away the bloodstained sword before sheathing it. "You," he pointed to the servant boy, who was busy cradling the unconscious maid; "Get the doctor in here."

Alvin was about to add his two cents that he might as well bring Jude over to the doctor, but seeing that Gaius was one step ahead of him, he swallowed whatever he wanted to say. It was kind of obvious that the king was more concerned with Jude than anything else because he kept stealing glances at the boy even though he didn't bother approaching him. With nothing else left to do, Alvin decided that he might as well make himself useful by Jude's sight; at least the boy might be grateful for his company or something.

... That and he might owe him an apology or two.

Kneeling beside Jude, he squinted at the bloodied hand. From his expertise of getting wounded whenever an inevitable fight occurred, it wasn't a deep cut but it definitely shouldn't be taken lightly either. If it got worse, it might even lead to an infection. Putting a hand on Jude's shoulder, he watched as the boy fixed him a questioning glance before sighing. "Hey. I'm sorry. You got dragged into this because of me and now you're hurt."

Now here's where it got bizarre again, even for Alvin who had seen almost everything the world had to offer from animalistic catgirls to disturbing bondage kink clothing. Jude was _really_ nonplussed about the wound. He didn't even pale at the sight or even attempt to staunch the bleeding. Heck, he didn't even bother to make small talk about Alvin's apology. All he ever did was to stare and stare at the wound, as if it could magically disappear in the blink of an eye.

And then Alvin felt his eyes almost bulging out from his sockets.

Because the wound had started to pinch together, like someone expertly sewn the two flaps with invisible threads, and it sealed up once more without even leaving behind a single trace of its existence. There were just smears and trails of blood and nothing else.

Alvin was at a loss for words, he could only sputter.

"I think I'm gonna go and wash up now," Jude got up from his spot on the ground, holding his healed hand as close as possible to his heart. He didn't look left or right, didn't try to smile or say goodbye, just darting off towards the door and leaving the room in a flurry of dark robes. He could hear the boy hurrying down the hall, avoiding maids with 'excuse me' and 'sorry' until his voice faded to nothingness.

Alvin still stared at the door blankly as if it'll bring Jude back, trying to process what really happened.

The wound. Disappeared. The boy. Gone.

He didn't want to believe it but it was all true.

"Looks like he's the guy, huh?" Alvin mused aloud, glancing sidelong at the quiet king. Gaius made no reply whatsoever, still staring at patches of blood that Jude left behind, and the Duke sighed. Looks like he wasn't the only one having a hard time digesting what just happened either. Someone so young and naive—no wonder Gaius wanted to shelter him from everyone else.

Heaving a ragged sigh, Alvin scratched his head and stood up, trying to straighten his Fissmauge scarf. His lips curled into a thin smile.

_'First things first, gotta bring the boy to Elympios.'_

**「つづく」****to be continued…**


End file.
